Soul Magic
by Kuroyuri-chan
Summary: In the wake of a painful discovery of Youko's sordid past, Kurama struggles to cope with the residual feelings he has for a woman he never actually knew. Meanwhile, Kagome is given a second chance and embarks on a perilous journey to thwart a devious plot for supremacy which spans all three realms. Kur/Kag
1. Prologue: A Jewel Forgotten

AN: I haven't written fan fiction for years but I recently got back into anime and this idea struck me. These two series are so old, I don't know if there would be any interest in this kind of crossover anymore. Review and let me know if you'd like to read more. Enjoy!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Prologue: A Jewel Forgotten**

 _A soft, low twanging melody that sounded like warm, sultry rain on fresh blossoms, sun-warmed spongey moss beneath bare feet, sounded across the cave to him. She knelt on a cushion near the stove, the shamisen resting on her lap as her small hands moved expertly over the strings. Her usually lively expression was calm, grey-blue eyes half-hooded under coal black lashes, the warm orange glow of the stove reflected in them. He enjoyed the music, and even more the time it afforded him to observe her face when it wasn't talking back or glaring at him._

 _She was very good and had improved greatly over the years. She said she had lessons as a child. A look around the room would reveal more of her interests. She was a prolific, if not particularly skilled artist. Hundreds of her sketches and paintings littered the walls. She also had a fairly extensive library of scrolls and books, ranging in subject from poetry, mythology, and romantic fiction to modern science, mathematics, literature, and even fashion. She had a chalkboard, one of his most recent finds, covered in math equations. She claimed to hate math, but she said it would be a shame to have learned all that stuff and not retain it so she still practiced regularly. He'd never met a human woman so well educated. The humans at that time liked to keep their females dumb and subordinate. She was anything but. She would argue at the drop of a hat with anyone she disagreed with, even a much stronger opponent who anyone with a sense of self-preservation would have left alone. She loved to argue with him. That's not to say she was confrontational, she just wasn't afraid to speak up and she had a quick temper. She was foolishly brave._

 _He supposed he kept her because she was a puzzle._

 _The melody turned melancholy and trailed off into a discordant series of notes. The echoes of the last note faded. He sipped some rice wine and watched her set down the shamisen and bachi carefully on the low table in front of her._

 _Rain cloud eyes, big and luminous with every emotion she ever felt, stared into the darkest corner of the cave. "How could you forget me?" Her eyes met his. "How could you forget me?" she asked more fervently this time. She rose quickly from her cushion, her gown fluttering angrily with her movements, wove her way deftly around the furniture and before he could blink she was leaning over him with her tearstained face close to his. She screamed, "How could you forget me?!"_

…

Kurama's green eyes shot open in the dark as he came awake with a start. For a tense moment, a scream echoed in his ears and he gripped the sheets. The hum of the fan in the corner brought him back to his bedroom. The shaft of light on the ceiling told him it was daylight. Desperately, he tried to remember the details of this horrible dream but they slipped through his fingers like sand. This was the sixth time in three weeks this enchanting but frightening woman had visited him in his sleep. The dreams were unlike any he'd had before, as vivid and detailed as a memory but elusive the following morning. Throwing the sheet off of himself, he sat up and put his feet on the ground, running his fingers through his hair to work out the knots and wondering not for the first time why this dream was haunting him so. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was time to get ready for work.

Later that evening, he found himself lost in thought as he walked home from his office. When he moved out of his parents' house a couple of years ago he had found an apartment only a couple blocks away from his stepfather's company. The nearby park was also a bonus. His feet turned down a side street and he soon found himself in the shade of the green trees that lined the path in the city park. This late in the evening there wasn't anyone else here. Branches seemed to reach towards him and flowers turned their happy faces in his direction as he walked by. He stopped on the path suddenly and smiled. "When did you get back?" he asked the quiet night.

The night answered, "Today."

Hiei dropped from the tree above to land in front of Kurama. His hands were tucked into his pockets and there was the ever present frown. However, the old fox got the feeling, as he often did since Hiei had returned to the Makai with a purpose, that it was just a facade. His fiery friend seemed calmer and more at ease than when he had first met him 7 years ago. "How is Makai?" It had been several months since he'd visited the other world himself. Hiei fell in step next to the taller youkai and they made their way through the quiet park, the only sounds the chirp of insects and the distant rumble of cars on the street.

"Quiet," the little apparition answered. "Patrol is uneventful at best. I'm bored."

Kurama nodded, tucking a strand of his long red hair behind his ear. "I have also felt restless as of late," he conceded. "You've been training for the tournament?"

His companion snorted. "Of course. This will be my last year of border patrol," he vowed bitterly.

"I have as well. I will be happy if I can only defeat Yomi. Yusuke says Yomi's son has grown exponentially as well. He may have a good chance this year."

"Hn. Not if he hasn't greatly improved his speed." Hiei grinned remembering how he had beaten Shura two and a half years ago. The kid was tough, no doubt about it. He hoped he got paired against him again this year.

Kurama nodded in agreement and the conversation fell off into a comfortable silence. After a while, Hiei said "You are troubled. Is sitting at a desk all day getting to be too much for you?" he asked teasingly.

The red head smiled indulgently. "Not quite."

Hiei realized he wasn't going to go into further detail and lost interest. He flickered into a branch overhead and looked down to give his friend a farewell. "Next week, we spar. I want to see if you've improved."

Kurama nodded in agreement and the fire apparition swiftly disappeared. After wandering around the park for more than an hour he finally decided to go home. At least he was off work for the next two days, and he smiled to himself as he thought about the weekend training session he had planned with Yusuke.

The shower was hot but it did nothing to alleviate the niggling anxiety he still had in the back of his mind about the dreams he couldn't quite remember. Blue gray eyes, tears, screaming. It was only a dream, but the suspicion that it meant something more creeped over his skin like a chill. It felt like an ice cold wave was hanging over his head, poised to break over him at any moment. Distractedly, he stroked each waiting plant with a touch of his youki as he moved out of the bathroom and through his apartment to the kitchen. He had vegetables and rice for a late dinner and sat out on his balcony for a few minutes enjoying the warm summer night air and the quiet of the small residential district after dark.

Somewhere in one of the apartments above him he could hear the notes of a shamisen drifting through an open window. He listened for a while. Something tickled just beyond his memory. What was it about that sound…?

Shaking his head, he entered his apartment again and shut the sliding door behind him, leaving it unlocked as he usually did for Hiei who liked to drop in unannounced occasionally. He shut out all the lights and settled down into bed.

—

 _Long, wavy tresses the color of wet ink poured over his hands as he lifted them away from her thin shoulders. The orange lamp light lit her milky collar through the sheer fabric of her robe, casting her flesh in warm highlights that melted into shadow down the slope of her chest. This was as close as she ever let him get. He knew she must be a virgin still to have been with him for so many years and not given in to his seduction attempts. His fingers brushed the green vine that rested around her neck most of the time and he sent a little jolt of youki into it in a message to move aside. It was a sentient little plant, very protective, and he had gifted it to her for company centuries ago. The vine obeyed and he was left with an unobstructed view of her neck. He watched her pulse in the place where her neck met her shoulder. He leaned in and inhaled her sweet, unique scent where it was so warm and concentrated in the place where the hot blood ran so close to the skin. He felt a soft hand push against his forehead and he moved away._

 _She looked at him over her shoulder with those gray eyes, hot with irritation at the moment. "When has that ever worked for you, Youko? Back off."_

 _He put up his hands in a placating gesture and put a couple of feet between them. He felt cold from losing the warmth of her body and hair against him._

 _A wicked idea occurred to him and he mulled it over in his mind for a moment. He grinned devilishly. "I'll make you a deal. If you give in, I'll let you go."_

 _A cold silence settled over the cave and the woman turned the iciest glare on him he had ever seen on her sweet young face. "That is cruel, even for you."_

 _He ignored the sudden tightness in his stomach as he brushed off the stare with a wave of his clawed white hand. "Suit yourself, princess." He started to walk to the entrance._

 _She put down the book she had been reading and leaned forward. "You're leaving already?" Despite herself, she couldn't quite keep the pleading out of her voice._

 _He shrugged and examined his claws nonchalantly. "I have things to do."_

 _She swallowed her pride. "When will you be back?"_

 _Another shrug. "When it pleases me."_

 _His noncommittal answers made her want to rip his silver ears off and stuff them in his mouth. She gritted her teeth and put her eyes back down on her book, trying not let him see that he had gotten to her._

 _As he left down the dank corridor that led out of the cave system he thought he heard a whisper in the dark, "Don't forget me."_

 _In response his mouth formed a single word, a name whispered in the darkness he was leaving behind. Kagome._

…

Kurama gasped as he came awake in his bed.

He remembered. He remembered the girl. Kagome.

"Kagome," he said aloud, testing the name out. It came easily, as though his lips had never forgotten it even if he had. He had said that name so many times. How could he forget?

And when those three little syllables met his own ears again a wave of emotion came crashing down over him, stealing his breath away.

How? How could he have forgotten?


	2. Chapter 1: The Fox's Treasure

AN: I was pleasantly surprised by the response to the prologue. I'm so glad so many people enjoyed it and I'm excited to keep writing this story! Thank you for reviewing!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 1: The Fox's Treasure**

In the Makai the location of the infamous Youko Kurama's secret stash of centuries worth of ill-gotten treasures was the stuff of legend. For a youkai who had spent the better part of his more than thousand-year life hoarding away precious objects, the riches he must have accumulated was unimaginable. It was no surprise that for the seventeen years following the King of Thief's death and before his discovery in the Ningenkai, hundreds of hopeful demons had scoured the Makai for his legendary stash. Of course, none had been successful and the unknown treasures remained untouched for all of two decades.

Kurama, the strange mixture of ningen and kitsune that had resulted from Youko's improvised commandeering of the human infant Shuichi Minamino, had been content to leave it that way. He had to admit that the prospect of nearly unlimited wealth was a tempting one, but he didn't share the same material fixation with his predecessor.

However, some weeks ago he had begun to have strange and vivid dreams about a young woman with blue eyes. He didn't know what had triggered these dreams, but he had begun to suspect they came from Youko's past life when everything had clicked into place and a flood of memories had crashed down on him. Memories of her…

A heavy guilt hung in his stomach like a lead ball. He hadn't been to sleep since he had finally realized what the dreams were. He had left for the Makai immediately, only pausing long enough to leave a message for his father about possibly missing work on Monday, and had been traveling two days in the wilds of the demon world.

His destination was deep in the heart of the Forest of Voices. The vegetation was thick and formed a natural web of vines and fibers, making it difficult to move through. In addition, it was said that huge carnivorous plants ruled the forest and the voices of their victims' ghosts could still be heard echoing through the trees. In truth, the forest was filled with Whisper Bells, a type of carnivorous flower which repeats sounds it has heard to attract victims and which he had cultivated in the area many centuries ago. The voices heard might actually be last words of the flowers' victims, but they did not come from any ghosts.

What he was searching for was the entrance to his predecessor's fabled horde of treasures. Youko had designed the entrance to be inconspicuous and out of the way. There were no obvious landmarks and no pattern to be found. The fox himself would not be able to find it without communication with the trees, which were all very fond of him. Finally, after many hours of speaking to the trees and using his youki to coax the vegetation into moving aside for him, he came upon a familiar section of the forest and he stopped. It did not seem unique from the fifty kilometers or so he had already trekked through, but the difference lay beneath the surface.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he tried to tamper the growing feeling of dread in his stomach as he fanned out his spiritual senses and pinpointed an old tree whose roots intertwined over a small outcropping of limestone. With practiced ease he laid his palm to the smooth trunk of the tree and poured his youki into it, willing the rigid wood to move as he desired. The tree, even though it had not felt the touch of it's master's hand in more than two decades, seemed to warm with affection and its roots at his feet twisted and writhed until an entrance to a tunnel appeared just large enough for a large fox spirit to fit through.

In the years since the Dark Tournament when he had first reverted back to his Youko form he had mastered the transformation at will. However, he still did not have the power level to transform into his most primitive but powerful state, the fox spirit. Luckily, in his human form he was small enough to just fit through. He put his feet through first and with a little shimmying was able to drop down into a passage that widened slightly after a few meters of vertical descent. The ceiling was still too low to stand, so he was forced to continue on hands and knees. It quickly became too dark to see his own hands in front of his face so he picked out one of the many seeds he kept tucked into his hair and filled it with his youki. The seed sprouted in his hand and a single luminescent flower bud formed at the end, looking like a little lantern in his hand. It was enough to light the tunnel in a pale blue glow. He hung it around his neck, encouraging the vine to hold its position there, in order to free up his hands as the terrain became more difficult to pass.

After a long journey filled with several twists, drop offs, and narrow passages guarded by carnivorous plants, he finally reached the place where the passage became comfortable to stand in. His heart pounded as he rounded a corner and came upon a wide arch that opened up into a cavernous room. He touched his fingers to the damp wall and sent up a slither of his youki. After 23 long years, the two happy little flowers which hung from the ceiling returned the greeting with great affection. The pair of flowers had their roots and leaves all the way at the surface, only a single vine with a beautiful deadly flower grew straight down into the rock to open up in this cavern several hundred meters below. At the center of each long-lived bloom were 20 or so poison-tipped spines which were poised to shoot at anything that moved. They had remarkable accuracy.

This would be as far as she could have gotten.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and continued through the entrance of the room. It was tall. A human's eyes could not have seen the top of it with a lantern. The light of his flower bud didn't reach the ceiling either, but he knew the pair of flowers above him tracked their victims by sensing air currents and heat and nothing that moved was invisible to them. What his light did land on was an old shattered lantern on the rocky cavern floor. The knot in his stomach seemed to tighten tenfold. He stepped over the broken glass and continued on across the room and through another smaller passage. He walked for another ten minutes before the air became cooler and damp and he began to hear the sound of crashing water echoing from ahead. He walked out into another large cavern. The ground was more level here and it surrounded a beautiful waterfall that had not seen light for perhaps thousands of years before he had hung these now long-dead lanterns for her 400 years ago.

His eyes scanned the floor and immediately found a patch of green and white by the pool of water. He knew what it was before he came closer and knelt to get a better look. If he was anyone but the human avatar of the fabled bandit Youko Kurama his hand would have been shaking as his fingers reached out to touch the cool, damp silk of a woman's gown.

 _"Why can't you bring me some pants or a sundress or something other than these big kimonos and chinese gowns?" she complained not for the first time._

 _He gave her the same infuriating response he always did. "A lovely woman should only wear silk."_

 _She rolled her eyes. He loved it when she did that._

Kurama's eyes refocused as the memory left him feeling like he'd been washed over by a warm wave of water and left cold in the coastal wind when it retreated.

What had once been a beautiful young woman, he knew, laid under his hand. The once porcelain, peach-soft skin was dark and stretched like leather over her bones, the long black hair dry and dull, lacking the glossy luster he'd once admired in the lamplight. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream. There was one thing missing. No jewel.

Maybe she left it behind in her bid for freedom? It wasn't like her at all to try to abandon her responsibilities. Kurama supposed she could have tried to leave it in the cave for practical reasons. She wasn't a warrior by any means and could hardly defend herself, let alone the jewel were she to succeed and make it out into the Makai. Before he'd captured her, she'd depended heavily on her companions for protection. He had learned from observing the little ragtag group of humans, youkai, and hanyou that she was a wildcard at best in a fight. He sensed beneath the surface an immense well of power which her lack of training or motivation prevented her from using effectively. Her companions always fought for her, so she never had to develop her own defensive skills. In that way, they had unknowingly doomed her.

Kurama stood and with one last pained look at the body, moved into one of two adjacent chambers through a long corridor, a five minute brisk walk up a flight of stairs. This chamber, along with the one he had passed right off the waterfall which led to a bathroom of sorts for her, he had actually carved out himself, with the help of his plants, for the purposes of making a place for her to live away from the moisture of the underground waterway. The passage was lined with dead lanterns. When he crested the top it was into a cozy living area where he slipped off his shoes before entering.

Before the light even touched the room he knew what he would find. He knew this room intimately. It's where he had kept her like one of his stolen baubles for four centuries, where she had slept, cooked, eaten, made music, painted, studied, performed what she called "calisthenics," argued with him, spurned his advances, deflected his probing questions… It's where she had spat on him, cursed his name, wept…

On the four poster bed in the corner she had sat him down and made him sit still while she dressed his wounds, not caring that he was bleeding all over her blankets. Her hands had been so tender. Every place her fingers touched erupted in goosebumps. In his centuries of life, no lover had ever done that to him. He'd never wanted something so badly that he didn't know how to get.

At the stove in the center of the room she'd prepared tea and cooked meals for them. She wasn't a great cook. Four centuries of practice hadn't improved her much. When he commented on it she'd turn red and tell him if he didn't like it he didn't have to eat it. He loved getting a rise out of her. He had wished he could turn that passion into attraction.

He could not count the times he had sat on that zaisu, sipping sake or pouring over his latest stolen scrolls while she played her shamisen knelt on a cushion at the table or stood at her easel painting. She had a style like he'd only seen in imported western art. Realistic, representative, no outlines, detailed shadows and highlights. She painted landscapes mostly. She was technically better at those than the portraits of family and friends she occasionally attempted, though the portraits were always more soulful.

As she changed behind the folding screen across the room he'd watched her sinuous shadow play over the painted waterfall scene on the rice paper, dreaming of her curves and her delicate, white skin, wondering what it would feel like to run his hands up her legs, feel the heat of her core against his palm, smell the musk of her as he made her body ache for him.

He'd spent hours watching her as she sat at her desk writing. She wrote poetry, stories, letters to loved ones that they would never see. In a little leather bound notebook she hid under her mattress (he'd pilfered it several times when she walked down to the waterfall or the bath) she recorded her most private thoughts. He'd read her regret for not being able to see Shippo grow up (the little kit she took care of, he recalled), her wonderings about how Inuyasha was, her hopes that he had moved on and found happiness, how many children Sango and Miroku had, how her little brother was doing in his schooling. He'd also discovered, to his former Youko's immense satisfaction, that she found him very attractive (something about his ears), but cruel and perhaps "morally unsalvageable."

He remembered listening to her breath while she slept. Hearing her whimper or cry out, seeing her smile, wondering what she was dreaming about, wondering if he was in any of them or if her dreams were only for the ones he'd stolen her away from. He wanted her thoughts, her body, her secrets, her soul, her adoration, her loyalty. He'd wanted it, but could never figure out how to get it.

Hours, weeks, months, years of memories with her. How had Youko hidden those from him for so long? Why had the old fox spirit wanted to keep her from him? To save him the guilt? Was he ashamed of what he'd done? Did he regret it? Knowing the fate he'd doomed her to when he died, had he hoped to forget her himself?

He may be a different person now, but he could feel everything Youko had felt in those moments. He had taken her out of necessity to begin with. He had wanted the Shikon no Tama for his collection but had discovered that as soon as it left its guardian's hands it became tainted and spoke seductive words to any youkai near it. After he had come to know her, he had wanted her more than he'd wanted the jewel in the first place. Kurama knew that Youko had loved her, in his own way, but he didn't know how to love. He only knew how to possess.

Coming out of his thoughts, he set about searching for the Shikon no Tama. He looked under the mattress first, her favored hiding spot. There was the notebook. He pulled it out and turned it over in his hands thoughtfully. Sliding it back into the little rectangular indentation where it had been for many years, he moved onto the wardrobe.

Layered kimonos and flowing gowns in all colors woven from the finest silk, fit for a princess from a noble family. She'd always requested cotton. She said she knew he hadn't paid for those and didn't feel comfortable in such rich clothing. Youko had imposed his will upon her at every turn, in even the smallest ways. To him, humans, and her in particular, were like his plants. He could nurture them, even perhaps feel affection for them, but they were ultimately his to use or let die as he pleased.

The guilt twisted in his stomach just a little more. He didn't know why he was torturing himself down here, looking for this jewel. It must still be down here or they would have heard of its reemergence long ago. The truth was, Kagome devoted her entire long life to safeguarding that cursed jewel and its secrets, which he knew were closely intertwined with her own. Whenever he asked her why she hadn't just sold it or gotten rid of it somehow, her answer was always the same: "It's my responsibility." As Youko, he had never understood that. But as Kurama, he felt a certain responsibility himself now to make sure that this woman's long-suffering sacrifice would not be in vain. He would continue her duty. He could never amend what Youko had done, but he could do this for her.

He moved onto the chest of drawers. Nothing but underclothes, silk and lace. He looked in the chest where she kept blankets, inside the stove, in the dish cupboard, and her writing desk. Dozens of scrolls and books filled with her writing, but nothing else. He was about to close the last drawer when a neatly folded sheet of paper at the bottom caught his eye. When he moved the other papers aside he saw that it had the characters for Youko written in her neat, flowing kanji. He might not have spotted it if not for the red ink. He debated briefly before picking it up out of the drawer and gingerly unfolding it.

The edges of the paper were curled and it was discolored from years in this damp environment. Emotions he couldn't really define, ones he'd perhaps felt in his past life but never before with a human heart, swept through him as his eyes moved over her now familiar writing.

 _Youko,_

 _I know I have no chance of escaping this place, but I have no choice but to try while I still have the strength. You must be detained or I'm sure you would have come by now. You're not as heartless as you think you are._

 _You have offered a few times, and I'm not sure if you would have gone through with it if I'd agreed, to let me go in exchange for my secrets. Well, in case I'm successful I'll hold up my end of the deal, and if I'm not I guess it doesn't matter. I was born in twenty-first century Japan, with the Shikon no Tama inside my body. When I was fifteen, I was pulled back in time to the Warring States Era where you met me. I know you don't believe me, but I honestly don't know why or how the jewel has kept me from aging for so many years and as far as I know I am 100% human._

 _I know you'll understand why I hope our paths never cross again._

 _And I hope you're alright._

 _So long,_

 _Kagome_

Kurama's thoughts felt like they were wading through jelly as he dropped the paper onto the desk. It landed on a small carved box made of a soft, dark wood. He reached out numbly and carefully lifted the lid. What a strange feeling, he noted, to know what was inside though he'd never been here before. He was met with a tinkling melody and two tiny porcelain figures twirling across a black velvet background studded with little pinpricks of light so that it looked like they were dancing around the night sky. This had been a gift to her. Youko had sometimes brought her things when he was feeling particularly troubled about her. He closed the box and the room fell silent once again. Suddenly, the hair stood up on the back of his neck as something stirred the air just behind him. The animal in him was always on alert and he whipped around, immediately pulling the rose seed from his hair to form his signature weapon.

There was nothing there.

But then… "You…ko…?" A whisper that sounded like it came from every corner of the room. He stood completely still, only his eyes searching the dark recesses and his blunt ears straining to catch any sounds.

The air behind him stirred again and when he whipped around this time he just caught a silvery figure disappearing out of his peripheries. "Youko?" This time it was clearer, and he tracked the source of the sound. Only several feet away from him a glowing, pearlescent fog poured out of the rocky ground and began to coalesce into a human figure. The features sharpened and details came into focus. It was the woman. She was dressed in a flowing gown, the ends of which wavered and faded into the darkness. Her long, thick hair billowed and swirled about her as if she were underwater. The only color was a hint of blue to her sad eyes. What caught his attention immediately, however, was the glowing little white sphere that hung on an invisible chain around her neck, just as it had when she was alive. She had never left the cave; her spirit was still trapped here and somehow so was the jewel.

He had the distinct feeling she could not see him even though she looked right at him. She moved toward him suddenly and his suspicions were confirmed when she continued past him to the desk. She stood over the desk and brushed her fingers over the open letter that lay there. She looked confused.

Kurama cleared his throat and she looked hopefully in his direction, still seeming to be unable to really see him. "Youko, is that you? Where have you been?" she smiled and walked toward him.

He couldn't return the smile. He stood, inexplicably frozen to the spot, as she glided to him. Her face hovered above his and her eyes finally seemed to focus on him, searching his features. "Youko?" Her voice was whisper soft as she lifted one pale hand to his face. Kurama valiantly fought the urge to shiver, if only to avoid offending her, when her fingers ghosted across his cheek. There were icy cold. She searched his eyes and then reached for his hair. Her hand passed through it, not ruffling a single red strand. "You aren't him." She sounded disappointed and drew her hand back as if burned. She lowered her blue eyes, retreated a few steps. "I'm sorry." Now she seemed embarrassed by her familiar actions. She pulled the billowing mass of hair over her shoulder and smoothed it, combing her fingers through the locks anxiously. She seemed to gather herself. "Who are you? How did you get past the plants?"

"I was just leaving," Kurama answered after a moment's hesitation, caught completely off guard by the interaction.

Her eyes darted around the cavern and then focused again on him, her brow knit curiously. "Did you take anything? Youko will be furious," she warned him.

"I did not." He watched as she nodded and seemed to accept his word easily and remembered how trusting she had been in life. Unfortunately, it's what had made her so easy to capture.

"You should hurry, then. Youko will kill you if he finds you down here." She rubbed her arms self-consciously and glanced around her worriedly.

"I'll leave now. But you should come with me," he insisted. He had made the decision that he had to help her move onto the Spirit World. She was an important person in history, and apparently had this jewel somehow linked to her spirit. When she arrived in the afterlife he would surely face some kind of retribution. Even so, he couldn't bare to leave her down here, not now that he finally remembered her.

She looked hopeful for a moment, but then shrunk back into herself and turned her face away from him to hide her pained expression. "No, I couldn't ask you to do that. Youko would hunt us both down. He would never stop."

Those words, almost whispered as though she were afraid the fox spirit would hear, seemed to echo in the cavern. Kurama shook his head, pity making his voice softer and kinder than usual as he reached out as if to take her by the elbow. At the last moment his hand dropped back to his side. "What is your name?" he asked, knowing the answer but wanting to put her at ease.

She searched his eyes for a moment. "Kagome," she said softly.

He smiled, a small, sad sort of smile. "I am called Shuichi," he answered. "Kagome," he hesitated, hating how this was going to hurt her. Botan had once told him that ghosts were just spirits of people who never accepted their death. This was the only way to help her move on and finally escape this prison. "Kagome, Youko died a long time ago."

Her brow knitted in confusion and she shook her head. "You're mistaken. I just saw him a couple weeks ago. He'll be back soon."

Kurama sighed and led her towards the entrance to the stair case that led down to the waterfall. "I have to show you something." She followed willingly, making motions at the top of the stairs as if she were slipping on her shoes just as he slipped on his to walk down the steps.

It was a long, silent walk down the steps. He looked over his shoulder at her. She seemed to be lost in thought, perhaps trying to remember the last time she had seen Youko. He knew that time did not exist for her in the same way it did for the living. Finally, Kurama began to hear the thunder of the waterfall and the moisture in the air told him they were near the end. Kagome seemed to come out of her thoughts when they reached the bottom of the staircase and stepped out of the passage into the watery cavern. She looked around in confusion. "I forgot to bring my bucket," she said, giving him a worried look.

He shook his head. "It's ok," he reassured her, "we can get that later. There's something you have to see here." With a grim line to his lips he led her to the place where she had died, where her body still lay undisturbed for decades.

"What…?" She dropped to her knees beside the body with a dawning horror on her face. She reached out a translucent hand to pass over the brittle old hair and the empty sockets, the gaping mouth. "I was so thirsty," she whispered. Suddenly, she gasped and withdrew her hands, looking frightened. "Oh god," she whispered desperately, shaking her head. "No, it can't be." With a broken sob she looked down at her own translucent hands as if seeing them for the first time. "No," she sobbed. "No, I don't want to be dead. Please, I don't want to be dead!" She dropped her weeping face into her hands in one fluid motion, her hair floating around her head for a moment before coming to rest over her shoulders. Kurama watched in silence, knowing there was nothing he could do now to ease her pain.

The sounds of her crying faded before the sight of her did. A wind picked up around her like a cyclone, blowing back the hair from his face and sending him back several steps. He watched as the edges of her gown dissolved into nothingness, following inward up her arms and legs and torso until her face finally disappeared and all that was left was a blinding light that had rested at the heart of the fog and which now filled the cavern with a white light unlike anything the place had seen in millennia. He threw up his arm to shield his eyes; the wind was enough to steal his breath away now and he took a step back just as the blinding orb shot up out of the cavern through the rocky ceiling and the air was still and dark again around him. He lowered his arm from his face and looked around, his eyes quickly adjusting again to the dim blue light from his necklace.

The sound of the thundering water beside him filled his ears, bringing him back to his surroundings. He gazed down at the corpse one more time, trying to sort through the myriad of feelings he'd only just discovered three days ago. It was a bit like living on a ship his whole life, only skimming the surface of the tumultuous seas of love, hatred, envy, guilt, and all the other human faults his kitsune side had tried to avoid for the past 20 odd years, and suddenly being thrown overboard and headlong into cold, churning water. He had no point of reference, no experience dealing with these kinds of feelings. What had Youko been thinking when he hid this part of his life away from his other side? Surely he'd had to have known the memories would come back to bite him on the ass someday?

Kurama took one last look around the cavern, remembering for a moment how it had looked so many years ago in the orange glow of the lamplight as he helped her haul buckets of water to the tub in her little bathroom. In truth, he could have grown plants to haul the buckets for them, but he liked watching the muscles in her back and shoulders slide underneath one of the translucent robes he'd brought her to wear, and so he offered to help her haul the water and always made it a point to walk down the corridor behind her, watching her round hips sway under her gown. Every move he ever made had some kind of ulterior motive.

Shaking his head, the fox began the long journey back to the surface, wondering what he'd find waiting for him in Reikai.

AN: Sorry this chapter's such a bummer. It will get better happier, though!


	3. Chapter 2: Fickle Fate

AN: I know the last chapter was super sad, so thanks for sticking with me! I rushed to get this one out so you wouldn't be left hanging in Tears-town for long. Thank you so much for reviewing! I love hearing your feedback!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 2: Fickle Fate**

* * *

Kagome, or at least her corporeal spirit or something like that according to these people, pulled her long hair over her shoulder to run her fingers through the strands in an effort to calm herself. She had just found out she was dead. Dead and deceased for a good twenty years, in fact. The last thing she remembered was being so hungry and thirsty, pain radiating through her body from the poison tipped quills that had undoubtedly come from one of Youko's damned plants, lying by the water in the cave alone in the fading orange lamplight, and knowing she was dying. The next thing she knew she was being pulled out of the darkness into sunlight by a beautiful, blue-haired woman who had introduced herself as Botan. Botan had explained to her that she had died and that she was there to escort her into the Spirit World. The kind ferry woman had even held her when she collapsed and cried, unable to hold back the immense sadness that suddenly overwhelmed her as she realized that her centuries-long limbo in that cave had all been for nothing, that she had waited out the centuries in the hopes of seeing her family again in the future only for it to come to a bitter, purposeless end.

After she had calmed down and been able to accept her fate, Botan had taken her to the Reikai and she now sat in a small yellow office facing a toddler named Koenma who was apparently the ruler of the Spirit World. Her chair was comfortable enough, and she seemed to be wearing what she had died in, a flowing green and ivory silk gown. Koenma said that when a soul arrived in the spirit world they were usually presented for judgment to decide their final destination, but that hers was a very special case.

They had been sitting here for a couple of hours now, Kagome, at Koenma's request, retelling every detail she could remember of her quest to reunite the shards of the Shikon no Tama and of how she had come to be captured and imprisoned by Youko Kurama in the past. Now that she had finished her tale, emotionally drained from reliving the painful past, she leaned back in her chair and took calming breaths, trying to focus on details in her environment the way Miroku had taught her to calm her thoughts so long ago. The little demigod sat behind his desk, fingers steepled and a grave expression Kagome found almost comically out of place on his infantile features.

"We were able to piece together most of your story on the other side of the well from first hand accounts of spirits who have passed on. However, I did not know until very recently of your imprisonment." He became quiet and for several minutes sat with a look of deep contemplation creasing his brow. Kagome didn't disturb him, taking the time to examine the room more closely. It wasn't at all like she imagined the afterlife would be. It was sort of… sterile and modern. It looked more like a business than a place for souls to be judged. When the demigod drew a breath to talk again, she focused once more on him. "Kagome, I have a proposition for you, but before I go into detail about that, there are some things you must understand.

A long time ago," he began, "when the world was very young, youkai and humans lived alongside each other on one dimensional plane, the physical world or what is now known as the Ningenkai, where you were born, Kagome. Life for the average human was chaos, constantly terrorized at the whim of the much more powerful creatures born of darkness. You saw for yourself what life was like in the Sengoku Jidai, and that was at a time when the majority of the most powerful A and S class demons had already been removed from the physical world, but I'll speak more on that later. The ancient humans prayed to the gods for deliverance from the monsters that dominated them, and the gods took pity on them. The gods themselves are creatures of light, or at least they all start out that way, the opposite in every way to youkai. The mere presence of a kami, a creature of light, will wipe a youkai completely, soul and body, out of existence in much the same way the light of the midday sun vanquishes the shadows. The kami created from themselves 1000 souls of pure light as a gift to the humans. These souls would be born into the human world in human bodies and, wielding the holy light of the kami, they would be humanity's protectors against the powers of darkness. They were called miko. One of the most powerful of these souls, the one you know by her most recent human name Midoriko, created the jewel that you now possess, or should I say possesses you," Koenma said gravely.

Kagome was quiet for a moment while she absorbed this information. "What do you mean by 'possesses me?'" She frowned. She didn't like the way that sounded.

Koerma sighed and steepled his fingers, the weariness in his eyes belying his true age despite his toddler-like appearance. "Unfortunately, the Shikon no Tama was never meant to exist."

"'Meant to?'" Kagome repeated in annoyance.

"I mean that it wasn't fated. Every soul has a fate that is foretold and cast at the moment of its conception, ningen and youkai alike. Fate is absolute and inescapable… at least, in theory it is. There is only one thing that can disrupt fate, and that is soul magic. This is an ancient and powerful kind of magic that only a handful of people in history have ever been able to wield. Many centuries ago my father, the former ruler of Reikai, led a campaign to destroy all copies of the ancient soul magic texts because it is so destructive to the balance of things, hence the case of the Shikon no Tama. Midoriko was one of those who could use soul magic. She cast out her own soul to trap the thousands of souls of the demons who tried to consume her. The object that was created as a result, the crystalized souls of the combatants, was never meant to exist on the physical plane and has wreaked unfathomable havoc in the world ever since its conception. The jewel not only has a will of its own, it distorts the fates of others around it like a lens bends light. Where that jewel is concerned, nothing is certain."

The weight of those words hung heavily in the air. Kagome found it hard to swallow all of a sudden. She understood that she was one of those souls whose fate had been bent to the will of the jewel. She closed her fist around the jewel that hung at her throat. "So… so how can we destroy it?"

The line of Koemna's mouth hardened. "This is the third time you've asked me that." Kagome looked confused and Koenma hurried to explain. "This is the third time I've had this conversation with your soul. You've been reincarnated twice since then, but a soul only retains the memories of its most recent life. Kikyo was the first in your line to die in defense of the Shikon no Tama. When she arrived in the afterlife, the jewel followed her out of the physical world and into the spirit world. It had attached itself to her soul. She begged me to destroy it, but I didn't and still don't know how that can be done. We conducted many experiments to that end but none were successful. The jewel always reappeared with her. So, we decided to take a risk and try reincarnation. We thought perhaps the jewel would be unable to survive a passage back into the physical world, and to be honest I really had no other idea of what to try. The second to die was Etsuko. She had been born with the jewel inside her body. When she was fifteen her god-given power awoke within her, she was sent by her family to apprentice with the local miko and was killed shortly later by a low-level youkai that had been attracted by the power the once dormant jewel exuded as it was now bathed in the girl's holy power. When she arrived, I had the same difficult conversation with her and we decided to try reincarnation again, but this time we would wait until the barrier between worlds was complete and there was virtually no trace of youkai left in the physical world. We sent you back into the ningenkai in your modern era in the hopes that ignorance would save you and that I would eventually be able to find a way to destroy the jewel while it was safely tucked away in a world that no longer remembered its existence. As it turns out, the jewel is so powerful it can manipulate time and space and, well you know the rest."

Kagome sat in shocked silence. She had never doubted that she was Kikyo's reincarnation, but she had never realized how little control any one person has over their own life, and to hear that her past three lives had been completely controlled and dominated by this damned jewel… She had never felt so small and powerless, so futilely indignant. Her cheeks burned and she gritted her teeth. Koenma, sensing her anger, gave her a few silent moments to gather her thoughts. After a pause, he continued softly, "I'm going to give you a choice I've never considered in the past. You disappeared from our radar over 350 years ago, but by your recounting you only died just after Youko Kurama died 20 years ago." Kagome flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of the bandit and Koenma tried to pretend he hadn't noticed. "You say that when you reached your early twenties you simply stopped aging. I have a theory." He leaned back in his chair and seemed to look over some papers on his desk. "I don't know what the jewel's intentions are, but it seems to me that perhaps Midoriko is the one who bound her creation to your soul for protection. Knowing that youkai would seek out the jewel to augment their power and do great evil with it, if she had some control still over the jewel it is logical to assume she would try to find a way to keep it from them. I also think it was Midoriko's will to keep you young and fit to protect. I think the jewel manipulated time around you to keep you at your optimal age for well beyond the regular human life expectancy and perhaps indefinitely if you had not been poisoned. The point is, your soul was chosen by Midoriko to carry the burden of the jewel. It's not fair, but that's how it is. Out of the three women born to protect the Shikon no Tama, you were the most successful." The schoolgirl-turned-miko opened her mouth to protest that, but Koenma shushed her. "No, you were. You were able to keep the jewel for close to 400 years. I call that a success… My proposal is this: you will continue to hold the Shikon no Tama as you are in this life, Kagome. I will provide you with a body, but you will retain your personality and memories, so it's not exactly like reincarnation."

Kagome looked thoughtful, but not as though she fully understood the gravity of what he was suggesting. The demigod let that sink in for a moment while he gathered his thoughts. "Now," he continued, "I must admit also in this proposal a selfish motive. You see, things have changed in the physical world since you have been absent. Eight years have passed since you left your modern era for the last time. In that eight years, the barrier between the human and youkai world has been opened up to allow, for the most part, free passage between worlds for youkai. It has gone surprisingly well so far. There was of course at first some tension when humans rediscovered the existence of youkai, but youkai have come a long way in the last hundred years and most want to coexist peacefully with humans. There have, however, been two deaths in the past month, youkai deaths. In an unexpected twist, some human women have experienced a reawakening of latent miko powers and two have accidentally purified a nearby youkai. I'm afraid that as the youkai traffic increases in the ningenkai, more and more miko will be 'awakened' and their untrained power will spark a backlash of violence from the youkai. News of the deaths has already reached the higher-ups in Makai and they want answers."

The miko, having stood up from her seat when he had said youkai now had free access to the world she had grown up in, shifted from foot to foot and when that failed to release the nervous energy building in her she started pacing, absently braiding the length of hair pulled over her shoulder. "So, what am I supposed to do about it?" She had a feeling she wouldn't like the answer.

The demigod climbed up on his desk, stepping over papers to stand eye-level with the girl as she paced in front of his desk. "What I need is a liaison, a kind of ambassador from the human world to Makai. You would be this person. Youkai respond positively to shows of force. They are only going to listen to someone they respect, and in the youkai world fear equals respect. In addition to this, I have been reviewing your file and I have observed in you an incredible knack for collecting friends in the most unlikely places. I have a plan for dealing with the miko in the human world, but I will need the acceptance and support of the youkai in order for it to work."

"So, you're going to basically bring me back to life in exchange for me working for you?" Kagome asked, hand on her hip in indignation.

Koenma pulled himself up to his full height on the desktop, cheeks pinked only a little at the insinuation. "Well, you do have another choice."

"And what's that?" She looked hopeful.

"My first priority is to keep that jewel out of the wrong hands, and to tell you the truth the easiest and surest way to do that would be to hold your soul here in the Reikai indefinitely until we can find a way to sever the bond between you and it, which I'll remind you we have been working on for many years. Reincarnation again is out of the question as the last attempt has proven the jewel is powerful enough to send you through time in the name of chaos. But I know how long you've been locked away, and Kagome I don't want to do that to you. I'd rather use your talents to my advantage and give you your long-deserved freedom at the same time. But I will keep you here if that is my only choice," Koenma finished unhappily.

Before she knew what she was doing, as was often the case when her temper got the best of her, Kagome stomped her foot, face flushed with anger. "So those are my choices! Work for you, or rot in a cell. No rest, no judgement, no 'thanks Kagome for forfeiting any chance at a normal life to fulfill some shitty duty you never agreed to.' I thought I'd at least have some peace after I died, and then I get here and I'm being coerced by a toddler into once again getting neck-deep in dangerous, end-of-the-world bullshit. What kind of ruler are you, huh? You're telling me your only hope for saving the human world from the youkai you've let pass freely into it, which by the way I think was a terrible idea, is me? I can't do anything! I can't fight, I can't use a sword, I can't even control my own holy power. I can barely shoot a bow on a good day. No youkai are going to respect me enough to listen to me." She was panting, red faced, by the time she was finished. When she sucked in another breath to begin again, Koenma swiftly interrupted.

"First of all, if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, I _am_ going to lock you in a cell. Second, youkai have come a long way from what you experienced of them in the Sengoku Jidai. Just like humans, they have advanced in morality and technology. After you've gotten out into the world and experienced it for yourself, you may agree that it was the right time to reintroduce them to humans. And third, I can take care of the fighting part," he said mysteriously.

"Oh?" Kagome crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I'm not some warrior babe."

"No, you're no warrior. But that doesn't mean you can't learn to defend yourself. Listen, I need an answer. If you won't do this for me, I need to start making other plans."

Kagome clutched the jewel at her throat and closed her eyes. She thought about the ultimate sacrifice Midoriko had made, all the little sacrifices she made her entire life, to protect the weak from evil. She had never married, never had children, never had a day when she wasn't the target of bloodthirsty, vengeful youkai. Then, she had sacrificed her eternal soul to trap a great evil that could have lain waste to her home. And then, she had called upon another soul, a sister to help her in the fight. And all Kagome had done so far was break the jewel and then get herself kidnapped and imprisoned for four centuries. Kagome had never felt quite so pathetic in her (after)life. A wave of despair suddenly came over her. She had to do this, had to step into the shoes that Midoriko had chosen for her. But how could she? She was a klutz, a scatterbrain with little to no survival instinct and no conviction for conflict. She was a twentieth century school girl, for goodness sake, how could she be a warrior? Just when she felt herself slipping into hopelessness, she thought she felt a pulse of calming energy wash over her.

She opened her gem-bright gray blue eyes and found Koenma's small brown ones. "I have one more question. Would I be able to go to the human world freely? I mean, I could see my family?"

Koenma knew that she had already made up her mind, but he was glad to be able to allow her to see her family again. "Of course. You would be free to move between the worlds as you want. You'd just have to answer to me for a while until this crisis has been dealt with."

Kagome nodded. "Ok. I'll do it," she said with more confidence than she felt, feeling like she may have just signed her life away.

Koerma grinned. "Good." He reached for a black electronic box on his desk that Kagame realized was an intercom system. "Jorge, send Dr. Ito and Dr. Nakamura to collect our guest."

"Yes, sir," she heard a gravelly, male voice reply.

Kagome gave the demigod a questioning look and he obliged to answer. "They are the doctors who have been working your case since Kikyou first arrived in the spirit world with the Shikon no Tama. They will be the ones to replicate and put you into your new body."

"Oh," Kagome nodded, wondering what kind of experiments Kikyou had endured here and nervous about being put into a body that wasn't hers.

Just then the two doctors arrived. Kagome noticed right away that they were completely solid and opaque like Koenma and Botan had been, not transparent like her. One looked human with cropped black hair, glasses, and small black eyes. He introduced himself first as Dr. Ito. The man behind him, taller and broader with leathery green skin, green hair, and two little horns on his forehead, introduced himself curtly as Dr. Nakamura. With Koenma's encouragement she was ushered out of the room, anxiously combing her fingers through her hair. The two men walked on either side of her down the hallway almost as though they expected her to try and bolt. They watched her silently and Kagome became very nervous under their gaze.

"So, um, what's involved in the process of making my new body?" It felt so strange a thing to say, but she had to break the tension.

Dr. Ito, the human-looking one, answered with a smooth, even voice that was neither warm nor cold. "You will begin by stepping into a machine which acts as a kind of scanner for the soul's last life memories, and from that scan another machine will construct a replica body. It is very simple." Looking her over once, he reluctantly added, "And it is painless."

Kagome looked relieved. "Will my body be exactly as it was when I was alive?" she asked, more curious now that she had relaxed slightly.

Dr. Ito answered again. "Yes, down to the last scar."

The little priestess fell silent once again, wondering what to say as the tension seeped back into the silence. Why was this stupid hallway so long anyway? What were all these offices for? Just when she opened her mouth to ask, they stopped in front of a heavy steel door and Ito put his palm on a small scanner. The door slid open with a long hiss and they all stepped through. The room was dark but softly lit blue by various large machines all around the room, the purposes of which Kagome couldn't fathom. She shifted from one foot to the other, watching the doctors nervously as they checked dials and screens on one of the computers and talked softly to one another. Suddenly, Ito looked back over his shoulder in annoyance. "What are you waiting for? Get into the scanner." He pointed a bony finger at a clear tube and she stepped quickly into it. When she was inside a clear door slid closed over the opening and she was completely cut off from the noise of the room. She watched the doctors through the clear glass as they watched the screen in front of them. She couldn't make out what was on it. A whirring noise inside the tube startled her as a ring of little red lights descended around her, going all the way to the bottom of the tube and back up. This was the scan, she supposed.

After it was done the door slid open and she slipped out again, happy to be out of the enclosed little space. There was some noise coming from a machine on the far side of the room now, a large vat of viscous greenish fluid in another clear cylinder, this one larger and connected to another machine beside it via a black rubber tube big enough for a human to crawl through. She padded softly across the room, paying no mind to the two doctors who were engrossed in the readings on the screen of their computer, and watched fascinated as a little screen on the connected machine showed an image of a human skeleton. As she watched muscle, tendons, skin, and hair were layered over the bones. Features of the face and body emerged and she realized it was an image of her that she was looking at. Then, a noise like churning water came from the machine and Kagome watched as feet, her own feet!, emerged from the black rubber tube and into the vat of liquid beside it. Her legs followed, her hips, hands, torso, arms, breasts, neck, and finally head cleared the entrance from the tube and floated freely in the liquid. Kagome was too fascinated, too morbidly engrossed, to feel embarrassed by her body's nudity.

"This is so weird," she murmured to herself, unable to stop herself from putting a hand against the glass when the body's head touched it on the other side.

"Now the body must be drained and acclimated to breathing air before we can apply the seals." Kagome nearly jumped at the voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder at Dr. Ito who had approached her. The other, Dr. Nakamura, stood at the monitor still, his face turned away from her. He had not spoken a single word to her. She didn't know why, but he gave her the creeps.

She focused on what Dr. Ito had just said. "Seals?" she asked.

Ito looked like he was annoyed at having to explain himself again. "There will have to be a masking seal on the Shikon no Tama which will certainly follow your soul into the physical world again and materialize inside your body. In addition to the jewel, this body, even though it is a perfect biological replica, is not the body you were born with. Therefore, the bonds between body and soul are somewhat looser than would be naturally. This leaves space for your holy power to leak out around you, and with how vast your natural energy is seals will be necessary if you are to be working closely with youkai you don't want to accidentally purify."

Kagome's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh," was all she could manage. The thought of having to seal away her energy for the protection of those around her was a little bizarre and frightening. It made her feel a little like a walking bomb. She giggled nervously at the mental image. She had a feeling this wouldn't be the worst of it.

* * *

Yusuke grumbled under his breath in irritation as he climbed the what seemed like mile-long steps that led up the side of the mountain to Genkai's old temple. It had been two years since he had been to this place. Kuwabara and Yukina lived here; they had moved in after they got married last year.

Explaining to Keiko that he would be away for four months training some girl he'd never met had not gone over well. She'd thrown a fit at first, but eventually succumbed to reason. His business had been slow lately and they were trying to save money to have a baby soon. Koenma had offered him 5.5 million yen for four months of undivided one-on-one training with a girl he said needed to be able to defend herself. On that alone Yusuke had immediately agreed. They would be comfortable for a while with that much money. Then, Koenma had dropped the bomb. Apparently, just the touch of the girl's natural energy would wipe a lesser youkai out of existence. That had opened up a whole can of worms.

As the young toushin crested the steps, he heard a familiar voice shout "Yusuke!" and looked up to see Botan waving excitedly from the courtyard. Kuwabara stood beside her, broom in hand and typical goofy grin on his face as he called, "Urameshi, long time no see, punk!"

Yusuke threw up his hand in a casual greeting. "Yea, I coulda gone a while longer without havin' to look at your ugly mug. Hey, Botan." He came to stand in front of the pair, setting down his backpack and stretching his arms up over his head. "So I guess she's already here?"

Botan swept her long hair the color of sea foam over her shoulder and put a hand on her hip, the other thrusting a finger warningly at Yusuke. "She's inside. And I'm warning you now, Yusuke, you better go easy on her."

The young man scoffed and crossed his arms. "I don't think so. I was told it's my job to make sure she can take care of herself, and I don't care who she is or that she's a girl, she's getting the complete Genkai experience. If I held back that old bitch would crawl out of her grave to kick my ass."

Botan seemed a little dismayed at first, but then her demeanor turned sheepish. "Koenma wanted me to test you to make sure you'll be as tough on her as Genkai was on you. I was kind of hoping you'd back down a little anyway. She's so sweet, and she's really not much of a fighter."

Yusuke uncrossed his arms, scratched behind his ear. He was restless. "Koenma told me that. I'm supposed to make her one." He looked over to Kuwabara, surprised he hadn't heard an outburst yet from him of righteous anger over the potential treatment of this girl. He found the other young man mostly ignoring the conversation, craning his neck around to look back through the open sliding doors of the temple. "What the hell are you looking at?" he asked as he tried to peek around the much taller, broader man.

"Huh?" Kuwabara came back to the conversation. "Oh, I was just checking on my darling." He got the same dreamy look on his face at the mention of her as he'd done since the day he first saw her.

"How is she, by the way?" Yusuke asked.

Botan grabbed the toushin by the sleeve, virtually vibrating with excitement. "Oh, Yusuke, she's-"

Just then, a soft, feminine voice that sounded like little bells in the snow, interrupted "Bo-chan, don't ruin the surprise!"

They all turned to see Yukina descending the few steps from the porch to the grass. Kuwabara dropped his broom and rushed forward to gently take his wife's hand and help her down the steps. For the first time Yusuke noticed the swollen tummy beginning to show even under the thick obi the little ice maiden always wore. The young man broke out into a huge grin, missing the human woman who had followed Yukina out into the courtyard to greet the newcomer in his hurry to congratulate the couple. He slapped Kuwabara on the back, causing the taller man to balk slightly and cast a side glare in his direction. "So you're going to be a dad! Damn, you're an old man now!" Yusuke laughed when the glare intensified.

"I'm in the prime of my life, Urameshi, and I'll be glad to show you that any time. I've beat your ass down before and I'll do it again!" Kuwabara threatened.

Yusuke laughed. "When have you ever beat me, you senile old man!"

Kuwabara sniffed and mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Second grade," Kuwabara said a little louder.

Yusuke blinked owlishly, struggling to remember back through so many years of concussions. He burst out laughing. "I remember that! You were shorter than me then!"

Botan rolled her eyes, determined to get the meeting moving along. The morning was getting away from them and she had a lot of things to get done for Koenma today. "Alright, I love a trip down memory lane as much as the next person, but I've got things to do today, Yusuke. Let me introduce you to your student."

For the first time Yusuke noticed the woman still standing at the top of the steps, looking shy and more than a little nervous. She looked to be about 20 years old, smooth fair skin, striking blue eyes, some of the longest black hair he'd ever seen, overall very attractive. She was wearing tight-fitting black exercise pants that ended just below the knee, running shoes, and a gray hoodie to combat the early spring chill in the air. Peeking out from the sleeves around her wrists were white bandages he knew must cover the newly applied seals Koenma had briefed him on. "Let me guess: Higurashi Kagome." He strolled up to her and offered his hand. She looked a little surprised, but put her hand forward to shake. She smiled and looked a little more at ease.

"You must be Urameshi Yusuke," she answered. In an instant she was scowling as Yusuke's hand darted behind her to grab her by her long braid. He tugged almost painfully on the thick rope of black hair and Kagome balked, reaching up to try to swat his hands away. She was met with an iron grip and a steely gaze. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"This is going to have to go. This is a target for anyone trying to kill you." He gave the braid another meaningful tug before he let go. Kagome straightened back up, grabbing her braid back from his hands and pulling it defensively to her chest.

"No way!" she responded angrily. "Do you know how long I've been growing this?!"

Yusuke thumbed his nose. "Nope, but I know how long it would take to slit your throat if I got a hold of it. Not long."

Kagame's glare softened and fear flashed across her face for just a moment before her anger tempered it again. Her eyes looked a little wet when she growled, "I'll pin it up or something, but my hair is nonnegotiable."

Yusuke shrugged. "We'll see."

"No, not 'we'll see,' we won't see!"

"We'll see."

"If you touch my hair again, I'm gonna-"

"What are you gonna do? Hit me?" Before Kagome could see what he was doing Yusuke darted his foot forward to hook around the back of her knee and cause her to loose her balance and fall backwards. "You're too slow!" Yusuke laughed.

"Oh, you-! You-! OSUWARI!" she screamed, scrambling to regain her footing and get her hands on him.

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?"

Botan shared a look of exasperation with Yukina. "Well, this is going about how I expected it would. Tell Yusuke I'll be back in a month for an update on her progress. Bye, Yukina-chan. Congratulations, again." They hugged and Botan produced her oar, mounted, and disappeared over the trees in a blur of pink and blue.


	4. Chapter 3: Unlocked Potential

AN: I rewrote the last scene in this chapter three times and had to walk away from it and write something else for a while before I could get it the way I wanted. I hope you enjoy it!

 **Chapter 3: Unlocked Potential**

—-

Set. Swing. Chop! Set. Swing. Chop! Set. Swing. Chop!

She had been at this for hours. There was enough firewood for two winters stacked neatly next to the little cabin. They were far up on the mountain, a mile or so into the wilderness to the south of Genkai's temple. Yusuke said it was for the safety of Yukina and any other youkai who stopped by the temple. Kagame's holy power was still wild and unpredictable, even under six (well, five usually because she almost always left the last one inactive) holy seals. Kagome thought it was probably so no one would hear her scream when Yusuke finally decided to stop messing around and just kill her. Surely he was trying to kill her.

She grumbled under her breath, taking a moment to straighten her tank top as it had ridden up on her stomach. The midday spring sun was hot on her back. She was drenched with sweat.

"I didn't say you could take a break!"

Kagome leveled a glare on Yusuke that could have killed a lesser man. He was lounging in a lawn chair, bare-chested and reading a car magazine, sipping lemonade.

Set. Swing. Chop!

"I wasn't resting, you lazy jackass. You know, I can't wait to meet your wife and tell her how you made me chop wood every morning for four hours just so you could watch me in a tank top," she threatened in between chops.

Yusuke turned to look at her, pulling down his sunglasses to look over them. "You're chopping wood because you're feeble. A newborn fawn could kick your ass." He grinned cheekily. "Gettin' to watch you in a tank top is just a little bonus."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Set. Swing. CHOP! "I hate this."

"Good."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Why is that good?"

"I don't know. That's what Genkai always told me. I kinda get it now that I'm on the teacher end of the relationship. This is fun." Yusuke laughed, taking a long gulp of cold lemonade, making sure Kagome was watching.

"I hate you."

"Good."

"Stop saying that!"

"Your cheeks get so red when you're mad."

"Urameshi, seriously, I'm sick of chopping wood and I need a drink or I'm going to die for a second time."

The toushin chuckled, but stood up from his chair and stretched like a cat getting up from a long nap in the sun. Maybe he was feeling generous? "Alright, we'll get a drink. But I'm outta lemonade. We'll go to the creek."

Kagome groaned. Maybe not.

Yusuke started jogging toward the tree line, not even bothering to put on his shoes. "Keep up with me. If ya get lost, I'm not coming to find you."

Kagome grumbled a few curses under her breath as she threw down her ax and started running after him. "And take off your shoes!" he called over his shoulder.

Five and a half miles of sprinting barefoot through underbrush made lush by the recent spring rains found student and teacher finally reaching the stream. Yusuke, seemingly unbothered by their run through the forest, sat on the grassy bank and dipped his feet into the cool water. Kagome arrived a minute after him, breathing heavily and sounding like a wounded elephant trampling through the trees. She collapsed on her knees upstream of Yusuke, dipped her hands into the water and took long, deep gulps of the cool liquid. After she had her fill, she crawled into the stream and laid down on her stomach, submerging her face. Her companion watched her, amused.

After a few moments, he got up to grab her by the braid and pull her face up out of water. She sputtered a little. "Let me die," she said pitifully.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and dropped her face back into the water unceremoniously. She rolled over onto her back so her nose and mouth were above the water. Her face glared up at him. "Stop bein' so dramatic. This is kid's stuff to build up your strength and endurance. I haven't even started teaching you anything yet. You really _are_ gonna want to kill me then."

She didn't like the sound of that. "Well I want to kill you now, so I can't imagine."

"No, you can't. Get up, rest time is over. We're gonna do some squats; those skinny legs of yours couldn't kick through a shoji screen."

That didn't sound so bad. But it was.

Kagome grunted something profane and took another staggering step forward. Yusuke, very comfortably straddling her back with Kagame's elbows hooked under his knees, grinned wider with every curse that came out of the little miko. "Squat!" he shouted.

The girl immediately stopped and bent her knees, slowly lowering herself so she looked like she was sitting in an invisible chair. Yusuke was a bit taller than her and his toes brushed the grass. Kagome cursed again. "I can't get back up!"

"Yes, you can."

"I can't, you fat asshole! I'm a little girl, you weigh at least 50% more than me," she ground out between clenched teeth. Sweat rolled down her forehead and her knees shook underneath her. Tears stung her eyes. It was taking every thing in her not to drop them both to the ground. She had reached her limit, she couldn't do what he wanted her to do.

"It's not about size or weight. And I'm not fat, you're just a weak-"

"Shut up!" Kagome grunted. She could feel her anger and frustration welling up in her. She started to feel flushed all over, like a wave of warm sea water had washed through her veins. She knew that feeling, it was her power surging to the surface.

Apparently Yusuke could feel it too. He was about to scramble off, his natural youkai instinct for self-preservation kicking in, when Kagome suddenly heaved upward, straightening and throwing him off her to land several feet away. Yusuke looked up and could see an aura of holy energy making the skin of her bare legs glow. His own skin was practically crawling off his bones. He had only a fraction of youkai blood in him but it was singing for him to get the hell out of there.

He pushed back the feeling, and stood up. Kagome was panting and glaring back at him. "Alright, now we're gettin' somewhere! Don't lose that feeling!"

The glare intensified. So did the glow. "Oh, I won't."

"Your legs feel warm, don't they?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Concentrate on that," Yusuke instructed. Kagome, though still angry, obliged. She focused on her legs. They did feel warmer than the rest of her. The harder she concentrated on them, the hotter they seemed to get.

"Damn, ok, reel it in a little. See how easy that is?"

"I guess, but what am I doing?" As her anger melted, so did her power. It started to slip back beneath the surface as she lost focus.

"Ah! Don't let it go!" Yusuke clipped. "Grab it!"

Kagome mentally tried to seize what felt like the tail end of a long rope of energy before it slipped out of her reach. It felt like trying to recapture a dream you couldn't quite remember. She thought she had caught it and knew she'd succeeded when that warm liquid feeling surged under her skin again. "Oh!" she said in surprise. She smiled for the first time in weeks. "I did it!"

"Great! That's the first step. Now concentrate again on your legs. That warm feeling is your natural energy. What you're doin', and what you just did unconsciously, is sending that energy to an area of your body to strengthen the muscles and bones. I'm mostly human, and I've fought youkai hundreds of times stronger than me, physically. This is how I do it. I turn my reiki into physical strength."

Kagome grinned and jumped into the air experimentally. She squealed with delight when she easily cleared six feet. "I'm like a superhero!" she laughed.

Yusuke grinned and absently scratched the back of his head. "Alright, enough playing arou- hey! Get back here!"

Kagome was laughing and already half-way up a seventy foot beech tree just starting to show its leaves. "You can't make me!" she answered, realizing how childish she sounded and laughing all over again. The bark of the tree was so sweetly rough against her palms. For so long, four hundred years long, she had not seen the sun, felt the wind, smelled grass. She had finally gained her freedom again and had immediately been thrown into this four-month long hellish training with a man she could swear might be Inuyasha's reincarnation. She'd had no time to readjust or to appreciate all the sights and sounds she'd thought she'd never experience again. She felt euphoric. The soreness had melted out of her muscles and in its place was a pleasant liquid warmth. She was aware that her power was no longer only concentrated in her legs. Every time she pulled herself up onto the next branch she felt it surge through her shoulders and arms. Just a minute ago she had to concentrate to keep it localized where she wanted it to be and now it flowed naturally to the muscles being used without her having to think about it.

She was huffing only a little by the time she reached the top of the tree. She stood on the uppermost branch that could still support her and hugged the trunk of the tree. She craned her neck around on each side and looked out over the expanse of mountains, grinning like a child. Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy, felt so invulnerable. For the first time she really felt like she might be able to do this thing that was being asked of her, she felt she could come to handle this huge responsibility on her own. When she'd first been set on this path weeks ago she had been so scared. She didn't know how she would keep the jewel safe by herself, how she'd survive without Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara to protect her. It wasn't the same now. Something had just awoken in her with that first small success in being able to harness and direct her holy energy, a confidence in herself she hadn't felt since she fell down that well centuries ago.

"I guess you're not afraid of heights," she heard Yusuke call up from the base of the tree. Kagome had forgotten he was there. She glanced down absently to see him leaning against the trunk, looking up at her.

"Nah. Riding piggy-back on a hanyou for six years cured that." Over the weeks they had gotten to know one another and exchanged stories. The toushin's was almost as farfetched as her own.

He chuckled and let a few moments pass in silence. Kagome sank back down into her thoughts. She wondered if Midoriko was conscious at all of anything going on in the real world. She wondered if she was somehow aware of this little success, of the power of the feelings welling up in the one she'd chosen to protect the jewel. Tears stung her eyes and she put a hand to her side where she knew the Shikon no Tama lay under a powerful concealing spell.

"You know, I can see up your shorts from here."

The miko rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Shut up, Yusuke." With one last look out over the forest, she began the climb down. When she was perhaps fifteen feet off the ground she dropped the rest of the way and landed easily on her feet. She didn't even feel the twinge of a pulled muscle like she used to when she'd done that in the ancient well. She brushed her hands together briskly to get the bits of bark and dirt off and stood up to her full height in front of her teacher. For the first time she was actually looking forward to training. She was eager to learn more and finally be truly independent in her duty.

"OK," she said, a determined set to her jaw as she put her hands on her hips. Yusuke cocked a brow inquiringly. "What's next?" she asked.

—

Outside the cabin, Yusuke faced the tree line to the south in only his boxers. It was a dark but warm night, around 3 in the morning. Kagome was inside sleeping like the dead, exhausted. He knew that feeling. That's why he had been very quiet getting out of bed when he'd felt a youkai presence approaching.

The presence had stopped just out of his sight amongst the shadows of the trees. The forest had fallen silent, perhaps sensing the approach of an apex predator. The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.

Yusuke grinned. "Oy, fox, out for a midnight stroll?"

A familiar figure emerged out of the shadows and into the weak light of the crescent moon. If the long red hair wasn't a giveaway the serene expression on that delicately handsome face was. Kurama stepped forward to stand just a few feet from his long-time friend. "Good morning, Yusuke," he greeted with a polite dip of his head. "I didn't mean to wake you. I hunt here sometimes and I sensed you and another here. You know vulpine curiosity," he smiled, hoping to put the other man at ease.

The old street tough didn't take the bait. "That mask shit you do never worked with me; you know that, Kurama. What's up?"

The fox silently cursed his companion's tendency for straightforwardness. A kitsune preferred a stealthy approach, to circle its prey, analyze it from all angles. The toushin, as always, preferred to go straight for the throat. "I heard you have your first student, a miko of all things. Koenma says she is very powerful and will be the key to peaceful coexistence between humans and youkai in the future. I really am only curious."

Yusuke took a seat at the base of an oak tree and leaned his back against the trunk. "He told me about the two deaths." He started to scratch his back against the rough bark of the tree absently.

"There has been another," Kurama informed him solemnly as he took a seat beside the toushin. His fingers curled into the grass at his sides and the blades leaned in lovingly to enjoy the attention. The feeling of plant life under his hands always grounded him. He had been needing a lot of grounding lately.

"Damn," Yusuke frowned. "Well it's damn lucky Koenma found this miko when he did."

"Indeed," Kurama agreed nonchalantly. "How is she doing so far?"

Yusuke shook his head, smiling privately to himself. "She's goddamn powerful, I'll tell ya that. Remember when I started out I could only use my Spirit Gun once a day? I ain't seen the end of her energy yet; it's like a bottomless well. Other than that, she's kinda pathetic but gettin' better."

Kurama nodded, then gestured to what looked like a long burn mark that wrapped around Yusuke's wrist and up his arm. "She did that?" he asked.

The black-haired youth laughed out loud then. "Yea, I told her she had to cut her hair 'cause it was a liability. Yesterday we were sparring, I grabbed hold of that braid and she burned the piss outta my arm for it. I'm pretty proud of 'er for that one."

The kitsune chuckled too. "That is impressive. Channeling enough energy into one's hair to cause any sort of damage is very difficult."

"Tell me about it. If I didn't let go immediately I'm pretty sure I woulda lost my hand. It still burns like hell."

Kurama pulled a seed from his hair and brought it to life in his palm with a caress of his youki. It grew, white hairlike roots wrapping around his fingers and a beautiful black bloom appearing with many broad leaves and thorns. He handed it gingerly to Yusuke with a warning to mind the thorns. "This is called a Peace Rose. Give this to her in the morning; tell her to grind the leaves with a little bit of water to make a paste. If she applies it to the burn it will heal within a day."

The toushin accepted the flower. "Thanks," he said, looking for a moment like he wanted to ask a question but deciding on a different route. "What do you think of this plan?"

Instead of answering, Kurama turned the question around on him. "You don't think it will work?"

Yusuke shook his head. "I don't know. And every day I see her getting stronger and I wonder if I'm doin' the right thing. I mean, I'm youkai too and I'm training the equivalent of a youkai kryptonite bomb."

Kurama nodded. "I understand. You have never lived in a time when trained miko walked the earth, but many of the most powerful youkai in the Makai have. Youko did. They were widely feared and hated by demons. But they were also respected…" The fox glanced at the profile of his friend, his lips set in a hard line. He looked older somehow. For the first time in a long time he was unsure of his chosen path. Kurama leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree and looked up at the stars, brighter than usual now that they weren't competing with the waning moon, trying to work out his next words without giving too much away. "I trust Koenma's judgment of her character. Despite appearances, he is wise and he would not have put this plan into motion without thorough research," he said, sharing a knowing smile with the toushin.

Restless, Yusuke leaned forward to rest his elbows on his bent knees. "I think she can be trusted, too. I guess it's youkai instinct or somethin' making me doubt her." After a thoughtful moment, he slid his gaze mischievously over his unsuspecting companion. "You should hear this girl's life story, though. It's wilder than mine."

To anyone who hadn't spent as much time with the old fox as Yusuke had the minute stiffening of his back, the jump of a ligament at his neck, and even the way his breath purposefully evened out to hide nerves would have been imperceptible. To an outsider, the redhead seemed perfectly unfazed. Yusuke knew better. "Oh?" Kurama asked, feigning disinterest, testing the water. How much did the toushin know?

"Oh yea. Cursed artifact, time travel, four hundred years of captivity in a cave…"

Kurama whipped around to look into the toushin's brown eyes, shining with something like mischief but also curiosity. No judgement. But he knew. His lips a thin line, he asked his friend, "Does she know?"

Yusuke gave his best innocent face. "Know what?"

"Yusuke," the fox warned, not at all in the playful spirit his companion seemed to be.

In surrender he held up his hands, then went on to reassure Kurama, "I ain't told her. As far as I know, Koenma didn't either."

Kurama nodded sharply, looking off into the forest again. A full five minutes passed in silence. The wind picked up again and Yusuke put his nose to the air. It smelled like rain. He was already thinking of how he could use the wet conditions in Kagame's training tomorrow. The fox rising to his feet pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Kurama checking his watch. "I will go now. Good luck," the fox dipped his head politely and turned to leave. Before he could take a step Yusuke was standing behind him, a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," the toushin said, prompting Kurama to look back over his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You're not Youko."

The fox clenched his jaw in what Yusuke recognized as suppressed frustration. "I know. I only hope she can see that, too."

Yusuke shrugged. "If you're afraid of getting purified, it'll comfort you to know that she despises me and all I've gotten so far is this little burn," he joked. "She seems pretty forgiving."

Kurama's mouth quirked up in the smallest of smiles, a look of fondness softening his eyes. "She is." And he melted into the dark forest once again.

—

"Who did you say gave this to you?" Kagome asked, warily inspecting the large flower he'd handed her this morning over breakfast. It looked like a black peony with somewhat sharp, waxy leaves. She had seen it once before.

Yusuke eyed her and supressed a telling smile at her thoughtful expression. "A friend. He knows a lot about plants and medicines, things like that. He said you should grind the leaves-"

"And make a paste with water, yes, I know." She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and seemed to come to the decision that he wasn't hiding anything and that perhaps she was being a little paranoid. "Well, do I have time to do that before you start your daily routine of trying to kill me?" she asked huffily.

The toushin pretended to think this over. "I guess. This burn really smarts," he laughed, rubbing at the still tender, inflamed skin on his arm.

Kagome couldn't help but grin victoriously. "I'll bet you won't be trying anymore dirty tricks with my hair, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess you can keep it," he waved a hand dismissively, secretly enjoying her triumphant smile.

After she finished her rice and eggs she set about making the medicine. With a little bit of rainwater collected in a bowl (she dreaded training today because she knew Yusuke would take full advantage of the rainy conditions), she plucked the thick leaves off the bloom and ground them in a pestle. She added a little bit of the rain water and with the last intact leaf she pricked the tip of her finger and allowed a single drop of her blood to fall into the mixture. When it was finished, she walked out onto the little sheltered porch and sat beside Yusuke on the steps. He had his legs stretched out and his feet were in the rain. He was wearing his usual white undershirt and jeans and was looking thoughtfully into the tree line.

The miko took a seat beside him and took his injured arm. He leaned forward to give it to her and watched her dip her fingers into the green paste and smear it onto the burns. The relief was immediate and the toushin almost sighed.

Kagome smiled and looked up at him from under her bangs. He reminded her so much of Inuyasha. The same boyish charm and rough exterior, but a golden heart. Despite her irritation with his training, Kagome was becoming quite fond of the spirit detective. She had felt an immediate kinship in him. He felt like a long-lost friend. "Feel better?" she asked.

Yusuke nodded. "You have no idea."

"You're right," she smiled. "I don't know what it feels like to be purified. But I can't say I feel sorry for it. You had it coming."

The toushin laughed. "Yea, I did," he agreed.

After a few silent moments, Kagome asked uncertainly. "Your friend… he _only_ said to use the leaves and water?"

Yusuke eyed her. "Yea, why? Ain't it working?"

"Oh yes," she assured him. She hesitated. "Only, I've used this remedy before and the one who did the damage must add a drop of their own blood to the mix and they have to be the one to administer it or it doesn't work. It's a funny little flower."

Yusukue made a face. "You put your blood in this stuff?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like you haven't had my blood on you before, you jackass. You fractured my nose and eye socket just two days ago and had to have Yukina-chan come heal me."

"Yea, well, you weren't paying attention," he sniffed.

She shook her head and went back to putting the paste over the serpentine burn her braid had left over his palm and around his wrist and forearm. Still, something was nagging about it at the back of her mind.

—-

Yusuke rubbed his temples warily, his shoulders drooping under the weight of frustration. Beside him, Kuwabara didn't look any more hopeful about his student.

Kagome stood across from Hiei brandishing a bamboo practice sword in front of her. She was sunk into one of the stances Hiei had spent the last three days drilling into her, sweat dripping down her forehead and her shoulders and arms quivering with fatigue. She had a determined look on her face, despite the long, fresh bruises that covered her legs, arms, ribs, and back. The setting sun cast long shadows over the field and her mind and eyes were exhausted from following Hiei's movements and trying to plan her next step only milliseconds in advance. Hiei, moving at the speed of an average human, lunged forward and swung at her neck. She blocked it with her own sword, a wooden thud echoing into the shadows of the trees. Deflecting, she aimed at his ribs as he swung around and blocked her faster than she could follow, feigned toward her right and at the last moment struck her across her unguarded ribs under her raised arm.

Kagome cursed as they both stepped back. Every inch of her was absolutely throbbing with bruises.

Mercifully, Yusuke stepped in. "Alright, Higurashi, take a break."

The little miko gulped down some water from a canteen and collapsed on her back in the grass. She was so tired she didn't even try to hear what her teachers were saying as the three men gathered several meters away to speak in low tones.

"She's hopeless," Hiei stated matter-of-factly.

"She's not hopeless, she just-" Kuwabara was trying his best to soften the blow to the girl he'd gotten to know in the past months and come to see as a younger sister, even though she couldn't and didn't care to hear them. "She's just good at other things."

Before Hiei could retort, Yusuke intervened. "You're right. The sword is not her thing. But I have an idea," he said, rubbing the back of his head and squinting his eyes. "She's got the Spirit Sword down, but she can't use a sword. But she's really good with a bow. Kuwabara, could she make other weapons with only her spirit energy?"

The taller man looked confused. "What are you talking about? Like a dagger? Or a short sword?"

"No, you moron, I mean could she make a bow and arrow?"

The orange-haired man started, fisting his meaty hands. "Call me a moron again, you- Hey!" he relaxed into a thoughtful stance suddenly, rubbing his chin and squinting his eyes at something in the distance. "That's a good idea."

The little fire apparition rolled his scarlet eyes, slipping the black cloak he'd removed hours ago when their sparring had begun back over his shoulders. The girl was entertaining, and stubbornly persistent, but no amount of persistence was going to improve her sword technique.

"She does well enough with hand-to-hand. She's got a knack for energy attacks. She showed some promise with a staff. Maybe a bow and arrow would be enough to round her out and give her a good chance against a wide variety of fighters," Yusuke said thoughtfully.

Hiei just shrugged as if to say the sword was the only weapon anyone ever needed to learn to use, in his opinion. At least that's how the toushin took it, who sighed in annoyance. Despite having agreed reluctantly to help him teach the girl a little swordsmanship, he had been little help further than that.

"Alright, Higurashi," Yusuke called over his shoulder, turning away and breaking up the little semicircle they had occupied. The miko peeked warily from under the arm she had thrown over her eyes. "The sword's no good for you," he stated obviously. She narrowed her eyes in irritation. She'd known this from day one. "But Kuwabara's going to teach you something I think you'll be better at."

"Ok," she said, still wary. She glanced towards the lighter half of the twilight sky where the sun had disappeared for the day minutes before. "Are we doing that now?"

The toushin laughed at the dread in her eyes. "Nah, we'll wait till morning to start that." Before she looked too relieved, he said, "Right now, we're going to work on meditation and aura sensing again."

Kagome didn't dare groan, thankful that she was getting off easy after these last few exhausting and disheartening days of sword training with Hiei. She just nodded and rolled smoothly onto her feet. She spent a moment stretching her arms up over her head, hissing in pain when it pulled at bruised muscles and flesh all along her arms and torso. She didn't bother to put away her wooden sword, just followed the toushin as he sauntered toward the tree line to the west. He called to his teammates "Hiei, give us 30 minutes, then start circling us starting at 30 meters and getting further away as you move."

"What about me?" Kuwabara called to his friend's back.

"Go home and don't give Yukina any grief with that ugly mug o' yours!"

"Urameshi!"

—

Genkai's temple had possibly seen a lot of parties in its days, or none (Yusuke didn't really want to speculate about the old lady's personal life too closely), but this was one of them. Yukina, who had come to know the young miko since she had been her personal healer for the past several months after her brutal training sessions with the toushin, had made paper lanterns and Kuwabara had strung them all over the porch and down the steps into the courtyard. They had a net set up for badminton (it had been interesting to see Hiei play against Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kagome, and Shizuru) and Keiko had grilled fish, vegetables, and steaks for dinner. Atsuko had brought beer and Yusuke and Kuwabara were currently arm wrestling at the picnic table, each holding a bottle in the other hand. Koenma, Botan, and Jorge were there too. Botan had had three beers and was walking up to each person to tell them how much they meant to her and that she was so thankful to be a part of a group of such good friends. She had told Kagome that she thought she got the short end of the stick in the life department and hoped this life would be better. The miko had missed the pointed, somewhat sloppy glance the ferry girl threw Kurama, who had been introduced to Kagome as Minamino Shuichi, known to his close friends as Kurama. Kagome had balked at the name, but glossed over it after a visual assurance that there was no relation to the Youko Kurama she had known and who had died more than twenty years ago.

Kagome, who was generally tired lately and wanted to escape the excitement of the party, laid back on the grassy hill that dipped down into the courtyard with her head cushioned on her hands and looked up at the night sky, relishing the feeling of a mostly bruise-free body and time to actually relax and look at the stars. The long-awaited day when Yusuke decided she was ready to take care of herself in the Makai had come, hence the party in her honor. She'd been cooped up in this place for four long months. She was extremely thankful for the friends she had made here but after spending the majority of her previous long life imprisoned underground, she was anxious to get a move on and start her new life. She was also pretty damn scared to be out on her own facing the kinds of dangers she'd faced in the Feudal Era but without the protection and support of her friends. Tomorrow Koenma would allow her to go see her family for three days and then she would begin what he was calling her "campaign" in the wilds of the Demon World. She was grateful for the reprieve with her family and nervous to see them after being absent from their lives for the past eight years. Her heart hurt to know how much pain she'd caused her family when she disappeared.

"Is this seat taken?"

Kagome craned her neck back to see the one called Kurama (but not that Kurama, she assured herself), motioning to the space next to her. "No," she said simply, smiling in an effort to conceal her sudden nervousness at his approach. She had no reason to be nervous around him, but she had a feeling about him. Kagome figured it must be the name throwing her off, and patted the space beside her. She sat up to be level with him as he took a seat next to her on the grass, stretching out his long legs before him and crossing them at the ankle. He mimicked Kagame's position and leaned back on his palms. He looked up at the stars, wondering what she had been thinking about as she had been gazing so intently at them for the last twenty minutes. He had been watching her, secretly, for most of the night waiting for an opportunity to speak to her alone. He still had no idea how he was going to tell her what he needed to without causing her a lot of turmoil and (worse) ruining any chance he might have had in the future of getting to know her better.

For the last several months he had been steadily regaining memories of a strange relationship that spanned four centuries. He found that he could think of little else but her raincloud eyes and the sad little tilt to her lips. Sitting at his desk at work or walking to the grocery store or sparring with Hiei or discussing affairs with Yomi, no matter what he did she was always there in the back of his mind. Youko had experienced the same thing, but hadn't known what to do with it.

"So," Kagome cleared her throat. "Yusuke said he's known you since he was fourteen. Did you go to school with him and Kazuma?"

"No," Kurama answered smoothly, "I went to a neighboring high school. We met in the line of duty." That was a nice way of putting it.

"Oh." The miko tried to relax. Kurama was such a nice guy, and one of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen, and she was letting nothing more than a name cause her to make a fool of herself. She cast about for something else to say. Suddenly, a large, orange lilly appeared in her line of sight. She blinked owlishly. "Oh," was all she could say, again, as she reached out hesitantly to take the offered flower. Her fingers brushed Kurama's and it felt like electricity jumping over her skin. It was familiar, somehow. She had a sudden sense of deja vu as she brought the bloom to her face, the soft, velvety petals brushing her skin as she inhaled the sweet, heady scent of her favorite flower.

Kurama found himself mesmerized by the twin fans of coal black lashes fluttering against her cheeks, covering the sea-colored irises as she closed her eyes to better savor the scent, a familiar little smile quirking the edges of her plump lips the color of the pinkest camellias. Outwardly, he was as calm as he ever was. However, his mind was racing wondering how she would react, if she'd remember, realize who he was, scream at him or just cry. He watched as she lifted her head, eyes still closed, with a thoughtful wrinkle between her brows. Now she was frowning.

She opened the blue eyes, shining in the dark like a lighthouse over a stormy coast, and turned that soul-searching gaze on him. Her eyes wandered over his hair so red like a sweet, dry wine where another had been spun moonlight, the soft emerald gaze so different from the hard cold honey she'd known long ago (although not so long ago to her, who had no recollection of the twenty years she'd been dead). But there were the similarities that she could no longer ignore. His mannerisms, the way he spoke, the sharp, analytical way his eyes moved over everything around him. He had the look of a fox if she'd ever seen one. But he felt mostly human to her.

A feeling started in her gut that she couldn't understand yet. A suspicion that had been nagging at her since she'd first seen him earlier that evening was coming to a head. No, not even that evening. It had been weeks ago when Yusuke had brought her the Peace Rose that the feeling had started that something huge was waiting just around the corner to pounce on her. She swallowed, the forgotten lilly hanging limply from her hand. "Who are you?" she managed to ask with a steady voice even when every inch of her was quivering with… something.

The longer he held her gaze, unwavering, unblinking, the more nervous she became until finally he said, softly to avoid drawing attention to them from the other party-goers engaged above them at the top of the hill, "That's a complicated question."

She almost glared, but didn't want to take the defensive just yet. Not until he'd said what her instincts were already screaming at her. "It's really not."

The fox wanted to chuckle, but didn't dare try to make light of the situation. He had to tread very carefully here. "I am Minamino Shuichi here in the human world. But in the demon world I go by a different name."

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but flinch and lean away from him before she caught herself. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she reminded herself. Harnessing her natural abilities and learning how to defend herself had done wonders for her confidence. "Youko." She was very proud not to hear her voice break under the weight that word had dropped on her heart.

"What is left of him," he nodded.

That was it. He had confirmed it himself, the very man who had stolen her away from everything she knew and loved and imprisoned her for centuries and who she had been told was dead was actually sitting right beside her. So he hadn't been dead at all. He'd just left her down there to rot when it had suited him. She felt a lump form in her throat that wasn't the anger she'd expected. Hurt gripped her heart and made it hard to breath suddenly. He'd threatened it so many times, but she'd never thought he'd actually abandon her. She'd thought she understood him. She'd cared about him even, thinking he cared for her in his own way, even if he didn't know it or would never admit to it. Something he'd said came back to her and she latched onto it like a lifeline in her swirling thoughts. "Left of him? What does that mean?" she asked breathlessly, feeling the pressure of tears behind her eyes and trying to will them away.

Kurama felt like sighing in relief. So far she was handling it better than he'd expected. "Koenma told you that Youko Kurama died 20 years ago and that's true. But with his last breath he activated a spell and expelled his spirit from his body and crossed the barrier into the Ningenkai. There, he found a fetal host and implanted himself in the human child to rest and heal. I am the result." When the miko continued to stare, wide-eyed at him, trying to process the information, he continued, "I hold Youko's memories and life experience but I am also, in the end, a product of a human upbringing."

Kagome didn't know what to say. The way he told it, Youko hadn't meant to let her die after all. The feeling of betrayal started to melt away and she felt the tension leave her. She remembered all those years with Youko coming to know him more intimately than she'd ever known anyone, even Inuyasha. She had hated him at first, but Kagome wasn't the type who could hold onto hatred; she was too eager to let it go. In those long centuries she had come to know the way he walked, always poised and stealthy, the picture of vulpine grace. She knew how his cold eyes lit up when met with a new and challenging puzzle, how his perfect, pale brow knit in concentration when he thought she wasn't looking. She knew how his voice could send shivers down her spine and make her want to strangle him barehanded in the same instance. She knew that he'd grown up on his own after his parents were killed and his greatest source of pride was what a success he had become without any help at all from anyone. She had lain awake many, many nights wondering what it must be like to have no one at all who ever really cared for you, being on your own for more than a millennia, and wanting to help him somehow, even if he didn't know he needed it. "I think I understand."

The fox relaxed as it seemed she wasn't going to have an emotional outburst. "Higurashi-san-"

"Kagome," she interrupted automatically. Her cheeks reddened when she realized what she'd done. "Sorry, just- you know, we've known each other for like 400 years; it seems a little silly to go back to being so formal and distant all of a sudden."

Kurama treated her to a rare, warm smile and it stole Kagame's breath away. She'd never, not once, seen a smile from Youko that was anything less than at least mischievous if not downright cruel. If she hadn't been sure that he wasn't entirely the same kitsune she'd known before, she was now. "Thank you, Kagome. Please call me Kurama." When she nodded with a hesitant smile in return, he continued, "Kagome, I know that I cannot change what I've done in the past. But I feel… deeply regretful for the suffering I caused you when I was Youko Kurama. I have grown and changed in unexpected ways during my stint in the Ningenkai and though it was not my intention when I escaped here, I am not the same person I was."

"I can see that," Kagome answered. In truth, the whole thing was a little overwhelming and she was thankful she'd have a lot of time alone in the coming months to sort through these feelings and adjust. "You refer to Youko kind of like he is a separate entity altogether, but then you apologize for what _you've_ done to me…" she said, unsure again.

He correctly read the confusion in her voice. "It's difficult to explain, and I struggle to understand it sometimes, but I am Youko and at the same time I'm not. Over the years Youko devoured the human soul in this body and all that was left was his own, but the merging of souls changed him. His is the dominant soul, but there are human remnants left that have altered the foundation of what I once was. I consider Youko a separate person, one that no longer exists, but one that is essentially an inalienable part of myself."

Kagome nodded and furrowed her brow. "You kitsune were always a convoluted bunch," she said.

Kurama laughed. It was another shock to the miko and she couldn't help but offer a small smile in return. "But we have so many other excellent qualities that no one is the wiser."

"And there's the kitsune ego," she couldn't help but add.

His aura alerted them to Yusuke's approach before the heavy sound of his unsteady footsteps did. He came to the edge of the hill and looked down at them, grinning with a beer bottle in one hand and a wad of cash in the other. He waved down at them. "Oi! Kurama! I'll bet you 10,000 yen you can't beat me at arm wrestling!"

The night was shattered by his wife yelling at him from her seat on the porch swing next to Yukina, who was speaking in soft tones to Hiei sat on the other side of her. "Yusuke, you'd better not be gambling all our BABY MONEY AWAY!" she screeched.

The toushin looked a little frightened and stuffed the cash into his jeans pocket. "I've already won back twice what I bet, relax Keiko," he assured her.

Kagome giggled when he disappeared back over the hill yelling back and forth with Keiko. She looked over in time to catch an amused smile on Kurama's suddenly familiar face.

Silence settled between them again. They both looked out over the dark courtyard, nervous again. Kurama seemed to be waiting for something from her. Kagome realized that she would have to be the one to close the issue between them.

"I- um…" she struggled to find the words. "I think I'm going to need some time to get around this, but… I know what it's like to be held accountable for something you did in a past life," she said in a self-deprecating tone. "So, let's just start over."

Kurama surprised her again with another of his quiet, warm smiles. "I would like that, Kagome."

—

AN: I hope it wasn't as anticlimactic as I fear it was, but I couldn't imagine Kagome blowing up and losing her mind on Kurama when he is genuinely sorry. Obviously she's not over it yet, but forgiveness is her nature.


	5. Chapter 4: Into the Woods

AN: Alright, now things are really starting to move and I'm getting excited myself as I write! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I love to hear your thoughts and reactions and it really helps me shape the story to know how it's being received. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Into the Woods**

—

The Makai was not at all what Kagome had expected. She'd expected something like the Sengoku Jidai: wild, unsullied, lawless, overrun with low-level youkai, most only slaves to their instinct and hunger. She adjusted her beautiful antique longbow and her new all-weather backpack, gifts from Koenma and Botan for "graduating" from her training, and turned in a full circle to see the world that had been made just for youkai.

The first thing she noticed was the colors. The sky was red-orange, the clouds that floated across it were purple, and the foliage was almost more blue than green. There were mountains to the east and south, but they had stepped out of Botan's portal in the flatlands where the civilizations were concentrated. Koenma had explained that the Makai was vast and that the civilized youkai lived in only a small fraction of it along the border of the Ningenkai about the size of the island of Honshu. The rest was dangerous, uncharted wilderness where the wildest youkai, no more than beasts of burden in mind, continued their brutal struggle for life.

She turned to look at the unfriendly little youkai who would be her companion for the first leg of her campaign. Hiei had spent a few days in close association with her trying (unsuccessfully) to teach her some swordsmanship, but she didn't know much about him except that he was quiet, intense, very powerful, and that he was one of the few people Yusuke would trust with his own life. That was good enough for her. "So," she began awkwardly, clearing her throat. "Where to first?"

The fire apparition's claret eyes turned from scanning their surroundings to look over the young miko he was going to be babysitting. She was wearing a yellow floral sundress which looked to him like a big bright target for anything around that would want to kill her (and what youkai wouldn't with that holy power flaring around her like a beacon), but at least she had the sense to wear some leggings and good walking shoes. He knew how talkative she was and dreaded the coming days when he would be her only outlet for conversation. "First, Mukuro's."

Without any further explanation, he began walking. Kagome, taken by surprise at his abruptness, jogged to catch up. He kept a fast pace and if his legs had been longer than hers she would have had trouble keeping up. "How long will it take us to get there?" she asked when she fell into step beside him.

He didn't bother looking at her to answer as his eyes were focused on their surroundings, constantly scanning for danger. "Four days."

"Geez," she huffed. "I wonder why Botan didn't just drop us off there."

"Koenma thought it would benefit you to have time to get better accustomed to the Makai."

"Oh," she said thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It is a lot to get used to. Although, I have plenty of experience roughing it outdoors. Inuyasha hated to stay in the villages; he said it made it easier for enemies to fi-"

"Miko," Hiei cut her off, drawing her attention behind them before she could scold him for interrupting.

Kagome looked over her shoulder at the perfect line of bare earth her path had cut through the lush, blue-green grass. Her eyes widened and she jumped back as if whatever had scorched the earth might burn her as well. The grass immediately dissolved into nothingness around her feet. "Shit! What the hell is that?"

Hiei resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He gave her a look that said "Isn't it obvious?" She didn't look enlightened. "Your holy energy is purifying the grass."

"Even the grass has youki here?!" she said, shocked. "I only have one seal open!" she defended, tucking her wrists protectively against her chest.

"Even that is enough to kill grass. You'll have to close all the seals or you'll call attention to our position."

She didn't like the idea, but conceded to the logic of it. Frowning, she put a finger to the small black kanji character for "six" tattooed on her left wrist, the last of the seals on her holy energy, and whispered "close."

She took a step and her tennis shoes sunk down into the lush carpet of grass under her feet. Hiei nodded once, satisfied, and continued walking.

Kagome jogged again to catch up. "So I guess you're pretty good friends with Mukuro, huh?"

"Hn."

This, Kagome had come to know, was his standard reply to anything he didn't think merited a reply. "What's she like?"

Hiei considered the question for a moment. "Strong."

Kagome nearly rolled her eyes. Of course she was strong, she was one of King Enki's "generals."

"How did you meet her?"

The fire apparition just gave her a sidelong glance.

"Fine, but I'm gonna need something useful on her before I go in blind and make an ass of myself and make her hate humans even more than she already does, apparently."

A few beats of silence. "She doesn't hate humans. She just thinks that ningen and youkai should keep to themselves."

At least it was useful. "Well, we have that in common." Hiei gave her a look of what passed for him as surprise, slight widening of the eyes and a quirk of one black brow. She rushed to explain. "I just mean that I don't think it's a good idea for modern humans to suddenly be reintroduced to youkai when they've been nothing but mythology and fairy tales to them for the last couple hundred years. I lived in a time when humans and youkai lived together and it wasn't pretty. I don't think it was the fault of either side. There are good and bad youkai just like there are good and bad humans. But the difference is a bad youkai can cause a hell of a lot more damage, and especially when surrounded by humans that may as well be ants under their feet for all the power they have to stop them."

Hiei considered this for a moment. He didn't care one way or another if humans and youkai mingled, but he did prefer to have the barrier open. It made it much easier for him to check on his sister, which within the next couple of months was going to be even more important with the arrival of her's and Kuwabara's child (Hiei still shuddered inwardly when he thought about that). He had been born in the Makai and had never lived in a world where youkai and ningen coexisted. Mukuro was much older, though. She would remember. "If you don't agree with it, then why are you doing this job?" he had to ask.

The miko smiled at the question, happy that he was finally picking up the conversation on his side. Maybe he was opening up a little bit. "Well, Koenma said it was either this or be locked up in Reikai for pretty much ever. And even if I don't agree with it, I can do more to help the situation from the inside, you know? And… I guess I'm kinda hoping it'll change my mind. I'd love to be able to go back home and have my youkai friends visit me and vice versa whenever we wanted." She shrugged and smiled at him, which Hiei had come to learn was her default expression.

They drifted into a comfortable silence. Kagome thought about the youkai friends she'd made so long ago and wondered if they were out here somewhere in the Makai. She hoped they were alive and well, and when her mission was done she hoped she would be able to find them. Maybe if she did a spectacular job Koenma might be persuaded to pull some files and help her track them down…

She zoned back in when she spotted figures on the horizon. "Is that a road up ahead?"

"Yes. That's the main road between the three territories. We'll take it into Shisou."

"A town? Oh, I can't wait to see a youkai village!" Kagome clapped her hands in excitement. "You think they'll have a bathhouse?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I cannot wait to have a long hot bath," she sighed dreamily. "Hey, that reminds me. There are hot springs in the Makai, too, right?"

"Yes."

She put her hand to her heart in a gesture of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I am so sick of cold creek baths."

They lapsed into silence again. Kagome hummed softly as she let her eyes wonder over her surroundings. The Makai really was beautiful, in a strange way. They were walking through a lot of brush now and it seemed the seasons were in sync with the Ningenkai. Beautiful blooms of all colors, some with strange mesmerizing patterns, dotted the hip-high bushes they passed through. The miko started to lean in to smell one when Hiei caught her upper arm in a vice grip with a sharp warning. "Don't do that."

Kagome just nodded, eyes wide. They continued walking. "Wow, it's been two hours and you've already saved my life," she laughed. She absently rubbed her upper arm where his bare skin had touched hers. He was so hot to the touch.

He turned a serious look on her. "It wouldn't have killed you… but you would have wished it did."

She gulped and nodded. Then, she had an idea. "Oh! This would be a great time to use one of the nifty little gadgets Reikai gave me!" She excitedly pulled her backpack around to pull what looked like a small metal notebook out of one of the pockets. She flipped it open in one hand and inside was a touch screen and keypad. She pointed the camera lens on the back of it towards one of the blooms and snapped a picture. After a moment the screen brought up all the information the Reikai had on the plant. "Called the Roahu plant, every part of it is poisonous to humans and to a lesser extent youkai," she read aloud. "The scent of the nectar alone, when inhaled, results in… oh, yea, you're right. Thanks for that, Hiei."

"Hn."

"This is the most useful little thing I've ever seen! I wish I would have had this in the Sengoku Jidai. Would have saved me a lot of distress that time I ate those berries…" she wrinkled her nose.

"Hn."

"Although, to be fair, Inuyasha went hunting for dinner and was gone for like three hours and we had been walking all day and I was starving, so… And I'll just bet he was out visiting Kikyo, judging by the guilty face he had while I was throwing up my guts all night. And poor little Shippo-"

"Miko," Hiei warned.

She glared for a moment, but fell quiet anyway. Who could blame her? All she'd talked about was martial arts and weapons and energy attacks for four months. She went back to inspecting the local fauna. She'd be sure to check the Rei-pedia, as Dr. Ito had called it, before she touched anything else in this world. She slipped it back into its pocket.

"Hiei?" she asked hesitantly, hoping she wasn't irritating him too much. He only glanced over at her. Maybe that was too much to ask. "Um, I know you didn't have to so I just wanted to thank you for trying to teach me to use a sword. I'm pretty crappy at it, but that's not your fault. You're a great teacher."

The little fire apparition just shrugged, distinctly uncomfortable with the thanks. He wasn't used to anyone being grateful to him for anything, probably because he rarely did anything to be grateful for. Kagome, sensing his discomfort, dropped the subject. After a few moments of silence, she asked, trying her best to sound nonchalant. "How did you meet Kurama?"

He didn't take his eyes off their path, but his lips quirked ever so slightly. Kurama had told him of his part in the girl's story and he got the feeling the fox would be pleased to know she was asking about him. "I met him when I was searching for something in the Ningenkai. We were enemies at first, but found we had common goals."

"Oh. What were you searching for?" she asked. He pointedly ignored the question. She almost sighed in frustration. He was about as good conversation as Sesshoumaru. She decided to take another route. "Well then, what goals did you have in common?"

"We both wanted things the Reikai had in their vault."

"Ah, I see. Knowing Kurama, I'm guessing you two ransacked the place and got caught. Is that how you got roped into working for Koenma?"

"We didn't get caught," Hiei corrected her pridefully. "We got away, but Koenma sent the toushin after us and he got a lucky shot. And yes."

"Lucky shot, huh?" she teased. At Hiei's glare, she laughed and held up her hands. "I'm just kidding! I've seen you two spar; I know you're no pushover."

Hiei thought that was putting it very mildly, but let it go. Kagome smiled excitedly as they finally got close enough that the sounds of the busy road could reach her ears. There were demons of all shapes and sizes walking or riding strange beasts of burden along the wide, worn dirt path. They merged with the foot traffic heading northwest. The miko's gem-bright eyes were wide with wonder as she watched each passerby going about their business. There were families with cartloads of belongings being pulled by what looked like scaled, reptilian horses. There were merchant caravans carrying goods across the plains and just regular travelers trying to get somewhere. Besides the obvious prevalence of youkai species, it looked exactly like any main trade route she had travelled in the Sengoku Jidai. "Wow," she breathed when a blue ogre two stories tall with feet the size of small sedans passed them heading the opposite direction. He was wearing a very sharp business suit but no shoes. She wondered where he was headed to. For the most part, they were completely ignored except for the occasional curious look of a child riding on the back of the family cart.

The fire apparition beside her hadn't said anything since they joined the road and was visually inspecting each party that passed them on the other side. "Is something wrong?" she asked lowly to keep their conversation private.

Despite her best effort, she was only human and anyone paying attention around them could hear their conversation. But he needed to answer her or she wouldn't let it drop. _'There are an unusual number of travelers going into Mukuro's territory. I've never seen the road this busy.'_

The miko jumped when she heard Hiei's voice slither into her head. She gave him a wild-eyed stare and opened her mouth, but he gave her a quick shake of the head. He tapped one finger to his temple. She nodded to show she understood. _'I didn't know you could do that! Can you hear me too?'_

 _'Yes. When I know to listen.'_

 _'So you're not always listening?' s_ he asked shyly, cheeks slightly flushed.

 _'I am not a voyeur, miko.'_

 _'Of course. Sorry. Um, why do you think there's more traffic than usual?'_

Hiei mentally rolled his eyes. _'If I knew, I wouldn't have mentioned it.'_

It was Kagame's turn to roll her eyes. _'You're so charming.'_

 _'And you are so irritating, but I'm kind enough not to say so.'_

Kagome laughed out loud at that. _'You remind me of someone I used to know, only you're a little more talkative and a lot less murderous.'_

Hiei raised a brow skeptically.

Kagome laughed again. _'I know, right? Maybe you and Lord Sesshoumaru would have gotten along.'_

 _'You know Lord Sesshoumaru?'_

 _'Well, he tried to kill me a few times. Luckily his brother was there to stop him. Later on we became allies, sort of.'_

 _'I didn't know he had a brother.'_ Hiei would have thought she was lying if not for their mental connection. He'd never heard of anyone surviving after Sesshoumaru had decided to kill them, but he could feel that she was being honest.

The miko nodded. _'Inuyasha was Sesshoumaru's half-brother. They hated each other. Well, Sesshoumaru hated Inuyasha for being half human and Inuyasha was just trying to survive.'_

 _'Hn._

 _'This is pretty cool! Can you do this with anyone?'_

 _'Yes.'_

 _'Were you born with it? I've only ever met one other telepathic youkai, but I've never met another fire demon.'_

 _'No.'_

 _'Oh.'_ Sensing his unwillingness to go further into the subject and his loss of interest in the conversation, she dropped it.

After a while of walking in silence, Hiei visually scanning the passerby for any sign of trouble, Kagome pulled out the Rei-pedia again and began discreetly pulling up information on any interesting-looking youkai she saw. After reading about a hulking lava demon that had just passed, she decided to try looking up fire apparitions. She pointed the lens towards Hiei's back as he walked ahead of her and snapped the photo. The machine, which ran solely on the user's own energy, didn't actually take a picture of the subject but of its energy signature. To her surprise the database pulled up three entries: one on fire elementals, one on ice elementals, and one on something called The Jagan Eye. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She had started reading the entry on the Jagan Eye when Hiei gave her a mental 'tug' to draw her attention. She looked up and snapped the little device closed, looking guilty. Hiei narrowed his eyes at her, but nodded toward the setting sun.

 _'We should make camp.'_

Kagome hadn't realized how late it had gotten. Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. She blushed. _'That sounds good.'_

Some hours later they sat on opposite sides of a small fire. Kagome had been prepared to dine on some of her rations for the evening, but Hiei had caught them some kind of little creature that looked like a mix between a small boar and a rabbit with scales and four eyes. After checking through the Rei-pedia that it was ok for humans to eat, she had set about skinning (a little more difficult with the tough scales than she'd thought it would be, quartering, and cooking it for them. Hiei hadn't said so, but he was quite impressed with her efficiency. He had expected her to be squeamish like most human women.

The miko took a bite out of the leg she was eating and chewed thoughtfully. The meat was good. It tasted like ham. When she was done she tossed the bone into the fire. She looked across to her companion who sat cross-legged with his back against the trunk of a tree. He had already finished his dinner, eaten two legs raw while she cooked hers. Inuyasha and Shippo had always preferred their meat raw as well. It must be a youkai thing. His eyes were closed but she knew he was awake, listening to the sounds of the forest. "Hiei?" she asked to get his attention. The only response she got was a slight raising of one brow. She took that as a go-ahead. "What do you do in the Makai? Do you have a home here?"

It was a few moments before he answered. "I usually stay at Mukuro's base. We patrol the boarder and take care of any wayward ningen that wander across into the Makai."

"Oh. How do you take care of them?" she asked curiously.

"The air in the Makai is toxic to most humans. We find them, give them clean oxygen, erase their memory, and return them home."

"Wow. I knew the boarder was open for youkai to cross into the human world, but I didn't realize humans could come over here as well, albeit by accident. It must seem like a nightmare world to them."

Hiei smirked. Yes, the minds he touched in his job were always deeply disturbed by their experience in the Makai. He always made it a point to leave a bit of fear behind when he erased their memories to discourage them from returning to the place where they had accidentally crossed the boarder. Kagome was still talking. "I really like it, though. The colors are so exotic and surreal. It's like stepping into some strange painting of an alternate universe. And the stars are so bright. It reminds me of the Sengoku Jidai." She looked up at the sky and smiled. She was silent for a while. "For the longest time I never thought I'd see the stars again," she said softly, almost to herself. She received no response from her companion.

After a few quiet minutes, she stood up and dusted her hands off. "Well," she said, grabbing her backpack and swinging it up onto her shoulder along with her bow. "I'm going to go bathe in the creek. I'll be quick and cautious."

He nodded without opening his eyes. "Open one seal before you step into the water."

She didn't argue, thankful he hadn't insisted on following her like she was accustomed to in the past when traveling with Inuyasha. It was a strange feeling to be trusted with her own safety for once. She found she liked it. She'd always found Inuyasha's hovering sweet at best, irritating at worst. But she'd been a different person then. She hadn't felt the confidence in herself that Yusuke's training had given her, the sense of independence she'd found in the last few months. It was like she'd been a child for four hundred years and was finally becoming her own person.

The creek was only a short walk from their campsite, well within shouting distance. She had pulled out the flashlight Reikai had given her, more useful than a regular light because it ran on her own ki instead of a battery, and picked her way through the trees and undergrowth until she found the bank of the little creek. Remembering what Hiei had said, she shed her clothes quickly and opened one of the seals on her holy energy before wading into the cool, chest-deep water. She shivered at first, but then remembered a survival technique Yusuke had taught her and used her energy to raise her body temperature and keep herself warm. After a moment the cool water actually felt good on her overheated skin. She sighed, enjoying the pleasant sensation of the slow-moving water washing away all the sweat and grime of the day. She giggled when she looked down and realized that her whole body was glowing with a faint pink light, a consequence from using her power this way to charge her entire body with heat. Feeling a bit like a lightbulb, she could see little fish swim by her in the water and dart away quickly when they got too close to her holy energy. Youkai fish, she figured.

After relaxing in the water for a few minutes she grabbed her soap and washcloth from the bank and quickly washed her body. Then she released her hair from its braid and began working the shampoo through the long, wet mass of dark waves that fell to her hips. She loved her long hair. It was one of her few qualities, physically, that she really took pride in. Maybe it came from being around so many beautiful male youkai with long, flowing hair. It could really make a girl self-conscious being around pretty men all day who had better hair than her.

When she'd finished she rinsed quickly and waded out of the water to dry off and dress for bed. Kagome pulled on a pair of gray jogging pants and a black tank top, debating on wearing a bra to bed. She shook her head. No one but Hiei was here to see her and he hardly ever even glanced her way. And she'd be in a sleeping bag all night. She had gathered up her belongings and started back to camp when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye in the trees. The miko whipped around, already drawing back the string of her bow with practiced ease, a glowing pink arrow made purely from her holy energy forming from her fingers, already notched and ready to be released. She was absently thankful she'd forgotten to close the seal before leaving the stream. Nothing moved. The whole forest had fallen silent when she drew her bow, sensing the danger she presented to anything with youki. She concentrated, trying to feel out any movement in that direction. "Is someone there?" she asked very softly, knowing she didn't need to be any louder to be heard by a youkai. After a few tense moments, she lowered her weapon and let the holy arrow dissolve. She watched the tree for another moment before continuing towards camp.

The normal sounds of the forest started up again, the nocturnal creatures sensing the danger had passed. Kagome thought she heard a buzzing noise, like some large insect, start up and fade into the night as it moved further away. The noise sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Finally she stepped back into the circle of firelight and set about rolling out her sleeping bag. She sat down on it and started brushing out her hair.

"Any trouble?" the fire apparition asked her from his unchanged position on the other side of the fire. He still hadn't bothered to open his eyes, but she could tell he was aware that something had happened. He'd probably sensed the spike in holy energy when she drew her bow.

She shook her head, remembering suddenly that the seal was still open and closing it quickly before he said anything about it. "No, I think I'm just paranoid," she assured him.

He nodded once. "I didn't sense anything out of place," he confirmed.

Kagome crawled into her sleeping bag and swept her hair up and out so that it fanned out across the grass and would dry while she was sleeping. She hated going to bed with wet hair, but it was a warm night and it would dry quickly next to the fire. She yawned and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. She had missed this so much. "Goodnight, Hiei."

After a few moments of silence, she heard an answering "Hn," and smiled.

Hours later, in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark, the fire apparition felt a familiar powerful aura approaching. He smirked. No matter how cool he liked to play it, he knew the fox wouldn't be able to stay away for long. Hiei checked the girl visually and then silently snuck out of the camp to meet his long time friend.

Kurama melted out of the shadows, the faint light from the fire a dozen yards away glinting off his silver hair. His large fox ears swiveled in every direction, gold eyes scanning his surroundings for any signs of danger. He could travel much faster in his Youko form and he was pressed for time. He had left Yomi's territory early the previous morning and would be expected back in two days.

"I wondered when I should expect you," Hiei smirked.

Kurama gave him a cool look that would have made a lesser youkai wary. The fire apparition knew him too well. "How is she?" he asked, knowing his old friend wouldn't be fooled by any stories. Besides, what plausible reason could he have for traveling at top speed for two days just to meet up with Hiei?

The hybrid smirked, knowing it irked the fox to be so direct. "Irritating."

Kurama chuckled. "I figured as much. Have you had any trouble so far?"

"No. When she has all the seals closed, no one can sense any holy energy from her unless they are practically close enough to touch her." Hiei didn't miss the frown that caught the fox's lips when he mentioned someone touching her. He mentally smirked. He finally had something over the elder youkai who had always been so utterly unflappable.

The silver kitsune looked in the direction of the campsite, his senses focused intently. He couldn't see her through the trees but could hear her even, shallow breathing and smell her sweet scent almost like sun-ripened apples in late summer just before they dropped. He turned his attention back to his companion. "Have you seen anything unusual?"

Hiei's scarlet eyes immediately narrowed on the fox, his expression hardening into something more serious. "Yes. I noticed an unusually high number of travelers heading into Mukuro's territory. What have you seen?"

Kurama nodded as though he had confirmed something he already expected. "The same in Yomi's. For weeks his scouts have reported a steady rise in the number of people moving out from the borderlands towards the inner territories. The same is happening in Yusuke's territory."

"What are they running from?"

Kurama crossed his arms and leaned back against the trunk of a tree, letting his youki seep out into the tree and hearing the echoing delight as the tree responded to his touch. He was very tired after his journey and soaked up the ki the tree offered him. "The ones interviewed say there are strange things happening out in the wild lands. Mass migrations, lesser youkai acting strangely, their own pack beasts becoming frightened and running away. Something is stirring out there. Whatever it is, it has everyone heading for the protection of the interior."

The fire apparition didn't like the sound of that. His hand rested on the hilt of his katana absently, a sure sign he was thinking of dangerous possibilities. "This much movement is going to put a major strain on resources. This close to the Ningenkai border, it could cause problems. Have you alerted King Enki and Koenma?"

The fox nodded. "Yes, I contacted them both just before I left. Koenma thought it would be a good idea for all three territories to keep in touch with each other and share anything we find out about what might be happening. He gave me this to give to you." He pulled what looked like a compact mirror out of his jeans pocket and handed it over. Hiei recognized it as a Reikai communicator. He slipped it into his own pocket. "Enki doesn't seem concerned, but you know how he is." He shrugged.

If he wasn't Hiei, he would have snorted. "Of course. He has enough to worry about at the spa."

Kurama smiled sardonically. He looked towards the camp site again and resisted the overwhelming urge he felt to go to the miko he hadn't been able to get out of his mind for months. He would have his chance soon to be close to her. After she met with Mukuro, it would be his turn to escort her to Yomi. "I have nothing else of interest to report. Yusuke will be back from the Ningenkai in a week or so to check up on Hokushin and prepare them for Kagome's arrival. Yomi is very interested to meet her as well." He fell silent and his ears flickered back toward the campsite when the subject of their discussion cried out in her sleep. He flinched, wondering what she was dreaming about.

Hiei had heard it as well, but the miko settled down and they turned back to the conversation. "We will pass through Shisou tomorrow. I'll try to gather more information from travelers while I'm there."

Kurama straightened up and turned to leave. "I have to head back now. Keep in touch."

They nodded in parting and Kurama took off into the forest again. Hiei turned back to the campsite and returned to his previous seat across the fire from the slumbering miko. He looked over her thoughtfully, the curves of her body plain through the material of her sleeping bag, her hair like a pool of black ink, her pretty features drawn into a look of worry in her sleep. She was unusual and beautiful for a human, but he didn't understand what had the old fox so obsessed with her.

—

Somewhere in the Makai, in a darkened room of a long-abandoned mansion, two shadows met against a shoji screen.

One said to the other, "She has arrived in the Makai."

The other answered, "I know."

"When she arrives at her first destination, you will make your first move."

"Yes," the other agreed.

"We must see what her training has done for her. And they must see as well, if she is to play her role."

A strange wind moved through the halls of the mansion, snuffing out each lamp as it passed. The figures parted ways.


	6. Chapter 5: Shisou

AN: Thank you so much for the responses! I enjoy reading your reactions as much as I enjoy writing. In light of one reviewer, however, I'd like to clarify that Kagome was never tortured by Youko nor treated with anything less than the kind of pampering one might give a favored pet. Having said that, I understand if Kagome's willingness to forgive Kurama for Youko's mistakes seems unrealistic. To me, it fits her character and I'll stand by that and continue writing this story. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how you perceived it. To lara5170- Kagome never slept with Youko because he kidnapped her. I thought for a while on whether they should have had a romantic relationship, but it seemed like Stockholm Syndrome to me and it didn't fit with her character. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

Please enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Shisou**

—

Hiei woke Kagome up soon after the sun rose over the horizon, filling their little campsite with warm, orange light and long shadows. They packed up their campsite and covered their tracks before heading back to the road. Kagome, knowing they would reach Shisou today, had dressed in a pretty violet sundress with blue and white flowers decorating the hem that ended about mid thigh and her walking shoes. She had pinned her hair back away from her face and left it cascading in waves down her back instead of the braid she usually kept it in. She was tired and hadn't slept very well, probably because of the strange nightmares she'd had all night, but was excited to see a youkai settlement. After Kagome ate a breakfast of jerky and fruit leather as they walked, they spent the uneventful morning in silence after her failed attempt to lure Hiei into a game of "I Spy." He was much quieter today, deflecting her attempts to start a conversation, and seemed to be eying the other travelers more carefully than before. Kagome figured he was just being more cautious as they got closer to the town.

As they walked all morning the open grassland had melded into farmland and the road widened and split off into winding narrow cart paths that fanned out into the countryside. There were youkai on horseback and carts hauling all sorts of goods and produce the closer they got to town. Finally, in the late afternoon Kagome could just see the tops of buildings come into sight and her excitement began to build. She adjusted the bow on her shoulder and sped up to walk beside the fire apparition as they finally entered the town of Shisou.

"Wow," the miko said breathlessly as she looked around her in wonder when they entered through the open gates of the outer city. It was much bigger than she'd expected. There were houses and apartment buildings galore all made of stone or brick, many painted in bright colors. Past the residential sector there was a fifty foot stone wall surrounding the inner city. Here, the wooden gate was open too to allow more species of youkai she'd ever seen in one place to enter and exit freely. The main street was wide and paved with red brick and packed with busy youkai who all seemed like they had some place to be. Many carried packages or bags as they hurried past, and most were dressed in modern clothing, although there were some dressed in traditional kimono. The main street was lined with all kinds of stores and businesses, smaller streets and alleys fanning out into a grid inside the walls. Up ahead at the center of the town was an ornate, ten story building. Smoke rolled out of the several chimneys on the roof and many vendors were stationed outside in the courtyard selling wares in a small flea market. The sign above the huge double doors read "Shisou Inn." That seemed to be where they were heading.

Ahead of her Hiei was cutting a path through the crowd. People moved out of his way warily as he passed. Everyone seemed to know who he was, or at least knew that he wasn't someone to be messed with. Kagome smiled pleasantly at the youkai they passed as they eyed her curiously, wondering who she was. They had never before seen Mukuro's second in command traveling with anyone when he visited the city, let alone a girl who looked and smelled human. When they entered the courtyard of the inn the miko slowed down to look at all the goods being sold at the various booths while Hiei went ahead to get them a room.

Kagome looked over tables displaying jewelry, weapons, exotic clothes and armor, foods and alcohol, pottery, souvenirs, baubles, medicines, books, everything she'd expect to see at a flea market and a little more. She was looking over some baked goods and talking about prices with a kind-looking old tanuki when she felt a pull at the hem of her dress. She looked down to see a big, round pair of dark eyes looking up at her from under some unruly blonde hair. She smiled at the little boy and stooped down to eye level with him. "Hello, my name is Kagome. What's yours?"

The little boy looked about five but she knew he was probably much older. He had dirty knees and his clothes looked a little worn. He smiled at her and she saw two sharp little fangs. "Kira," he said.

"Kira," she said, "I was just trying to pick out something to eat for lunch. Would you like to help me?" she asked.

He looked hungrily up at the table covered with all kinds of delicious smelling stuff and nodded. She scooped him up under the arms and set him on her hip so he could better see the selection. "What looks good to you?" she asked him kindly. He looked over everything and then pointed to some steamed dumplings. She bought six of them with some of the money Koenma had given her to use while in the Makai. The tanuki put them in a bag and handed them to her, giving the little boy a suspicious look. Kagome put the boy down and handed him two of the fist-sized dumplings. While she was crouched down she thought she felt a youkai presence come very close to her. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see another little boy who looked exactly the same as the first reaching into the pocket of her backpack where she kept her money. "Hey!" she shouted and he jumped back, startled at being caught. The first boy yelled "abort mission!" and they tried to scatter. Before they could get away Kagome had stood up, whipped around, and caught both of them by the collars of their matching shirts. With some help from her holy energy to strengthen the muscles in her arms and shoulders she hauled them back to her and held them in place while they squirmed and tried to get away. Some people had stopped to watch what she would do.

"That's not nice, you know, stealing from someone who's trying to help you," she scolded them. They stopped fighting her and she set them down on the ground, still holding their collars in case they tried to run again. Now that she got a good look at them, they had to be twins. They looked guiltily up at her, one still holding the dumplings she'd given him. "I would like an apology," she told them seriously.

They looked at one another, not quite sure if she was serious. "Well?" she prompted, and they both mumbled a "sorry" and lowered their gaze to the ground. "Where are your parents?" she asked them and they gave her a sad look and just shrugged. She wasn't sure what they meant by that, if their parents were gone or they just didn't know where they were at the moment, but she scolded them again. "I'll tell you something my mother told me: you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Do you know what that means?" They shook their heads. "That means that if you're nice to other people, they're more likely to be nice to you." At this, she reached into the bag and pulled out two more dumplings. She crouched down again to be eye level with them. They were looking a little more relaxed now that they'd realized they weren't going to get a beating for being caught trying to steal. "Now," she said, handing the two dumplings to the second boy, "Since you were nice enough to apologize to me, I'll give you these. Next time you want something, you can just ask. Or, better yet, you can do something nice for someone and perhaps they'll do something nice for you." After she finished her lecture, she patted both boys on the head and gave them another dazzling smile. They returned it, cautiously, and ran away to enjoy their spoils. Kagome stood and dusted off her hands.

The people who had stopped to watch the scene unfold all continued about their business, a few women with their own children giving her a respectful nod which she returned with a smile. She bought two more dumplings and then headed into the building where Hiei had continued ahead of her. The lobby was beautiful, decorated in rich red and gold hues. She could practically see her reflection in the polished wood floors. There were all kinds of youkai milling about the lobby, some in business suits who were speaking seriously to one another in low tones, some in traveling clothes carrying luggage, some seated in the various lush seats and couches scattered about the room. She spotted her companion at the front desk speaking to some kind of water spirit, she thought from the looks of the young woman behind the counter. Kagome joined him.

"Hey, I got us some lunch," she smiled and indicated the small paper bags she was holding. He gave her a sidelong glance and accepted two brass keys the woman behind the desk handed him. The young youkai had lovely pale silvery blue hair, black eyes that reminded Kagome of round, shiny rocks you might find in a river bed, and skin that showed the faintest pattern of iridescent scales when she moved. It didn't escape the miko's notice the way she smiled shyly at the fire apparition and her fingers lingered perhaps longer than necessary on his as she handed him the keys to their room. The assessing glare she threw her way didn't go unnoticed either. Kagome just smiled in return.

As they left the counter Kagome looked one last time over her shoulder to catch the young woman ogling Hiei's back as he walked away. She giggled to herself. Who could blame her? The fire apparition did have a smoking hot body (pardon the pun), even if it was attached to a nasty attitude and a permanent glare. Beside her Hiei gave her a questioning look and she blushed, hoping he hadn't chosen that moment to take a peek at her thoughts. She shook her head and waved it off.

They took the elevator to the eighth floor and found their room at the very end of the long hallway. They entered the room and Kagome was pleasantly surprised to see two queen size four poster beds and a fairly spacious sitting area, complete with a vanity in the corner. There was a small bathroom with a shower off to the side. The room was decorated richly in the same red and gold theme as the rest of the inn with a large painting of a Makai landscape on one wall. Kagome ran to the bed farthest from the door and threw her bag and bow in the floor before proceeding to jump up and down on the bed like a child. It reminded her of being on vacation with her family when she was a little girl and she laughed in delight when she found the bed to be extra bouncy.

Hiei rolled his eyes at her. The young miko gave him an apologetic, somewhat embarrassed look as she landed on her bottom and sat on the edge of the bed. "Sorry," she laughed, "I couldn't resist." Her stomach rumbled hungrily and she took one of the little paper bags off the nightstand where she'd set it and pulled out one of her dumplings. "Hope you like dumplings," she said as she tore into hers.

"Hn." Hiei took the other bag and dug into his own lunch. He preferred meat, but this would do. They ate in comfortable silence.

When Kagome had finished she laid back on the bed and folded her hands across her stomach. "Thank you for getting us the room," she said to the ceiling.

She didn't see the slight shrug Hiei gave her. "Thank Koenma."

She laughed. "Well, thank you for bringing me here, anyway. This room is so nice and this city is beautiful! I can't wait to look around!" She sighed happily. Even if she was on a serious diplomatic mission for which she felt woefully under qualified, she was enjoying the adventure so far. And the company wasn't so bad.

Kagome rolled over onto her stomach and opened the drawer of the bedside table. She found a brochure with all the inn's amenities and a room service menu. She started looking over the brochure. "Oh! The baths are on the second floor. I can't wait to sink into some hot water. Oh, there's a massage parlor too! And a library! And a game room!" She continued skimming down the brochure, mumbling under her breath when she came across something interesting. She looked up when Hiei got up from his seat on his bed and started for the door. "Where are you going?"

He looked back as though he'd forgotten she was there. Kagome got the feeling he wasn't accustomed to having to consult with anyone when he made moves. "I'm going to do some investigating." He didn't go into any further detail. He opened the door to leave but looked back over his shoulder at the last moment. "Don't get into trouble. And keep your communicator on you."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother," she said sarcastically to the door as it clicked shut.

Alone now, she got off the bed and headed to the bathroom. She stripped and pulled her hair up into a bun to keep it dry while she rinsed off in the shower and tried to decide what she wanted to do first. She dried off, got redressed, let her hair back down and was ready to leave the room in less than fifteen minutes. She slung her bow over her shoulder (better safe than sorry, she thought), tucked some money and her Reikai communicator along with the room key Hiei had left her on the nightstand into the pocket of her dress and was out the door.

—

Hiei adjusted his sword habitually at his hip while he crouched in the shadows of the overhang on the roof of another smaller motel not nearly as nice as the Shisou Inn. He was listening intently to the people entering and exiting the building, hoping to catch something pertaining to conditions near the border of the wild lands. This was the third inn he had tried and he waited patiently for nearly an hour before he heard something of interest.

Below him a small male bat demon conversed with one of the other lodgers as they came out into the sitting area on the porch. "I lost all of my cattle in a single night. It was a nightmare." The other youkai, an old red ogre about twice his height, nodded sympathetically. The bat continued, "And that was only the beginning. The next night I lost the dogs. And the next," here, his eyes filled with unshed tears and his voice cracked, "I found my only daughter out at the edge of the property half eaten. My mate, she couldn't bare to look. We did not wait any longer. I had to bury my daughter and leave the only home we had ever known in the same day. My neighbor to the south didn't make it out alive. He and his entire family disappeared the night before we left. I wish we would have left sooner, more than anything. Kiko would still be here with us." The tears fell down his cheeks.

The ogre patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, friend. Take comfort in your mate and your sons. They need you to be strong for them."

The bat nodded and wiped his face on his dirty sleeve. Hiei, sensing a turn in the conversation, quickly removed the ward over his Jagan eye and entered the mind of the ogre. He gave him a subtle mental nudge to seek more information. "Did you see whatever did this?" the ogre asked.

Still visibly upset, the bat shook his head. "No, we never saw it, or them, or whatever it was. But for weeks leading up to the start of the attacks there were lesser creatures fleeing the wild lands, deer and birds and the like. We should have heeded their silent warning."

"You couldn't have known," the ogre comforted him.

Unsatisfied, Hiei replaced the bandana and leapt quietly across the rooftops to the next closest inn. He had better luck here. Four women gathered in the courtyard of one of the oldest lodges in the city. The building had peeling paint and a weathered roof that had been in need of serious repair for decades. The women spoke in hushed tones to one another. Two were middle aged with bony, calloused hands and tired faces, one elderly with milky eyes, and one very young with an infant in a sling held against her chest. The youngest clutched her baby protectively as she recalled the horrors she'd left behind only days ago. "We thought it was a storm moving in at first, it looked like a wall of black clouds pouring down over the mountain. But as it got closer the thick stench of youki was enough to choke you. We realized it was a hoard of thousands of beasts. I've never seen anything like it!"

The two middle aged women motioned for her to go on while the elder stood listening, stoic. "Well, we fled as fast as we could! Obaa-san and I took one of the horses and all the money we had and didn't stop running until we got here!"

The elderly woman snorted wryly but the others ignored her. "What happened to the hoard?" one of the other women asked.

"I don't know…" the youngest woman answered hesitantly.

"I told thee!" the elder finally spoke up, her ancient face twisted into the exasperation of a much wiser person speaking impatiently to a child. "It disappeared!"

"Disappeared!" two of them said in disbelief.

"Obaa-san," the youngest said warningly.

"When we had been riding for only minutes the evil aura of the beasts completely evaporated," the elder insisted in her gravelly voice, arms crossed defiantly.

"That's impossible," the youngest insisted as though they had had this argument many times before.

"Well I did not say it wasn't, I just said that is what happened," the elderly woman nodded sagely. "I see better with my other senses than thou ever could with thine eyes, child, and I'm telling thee they disappeared. In a matter of seconds there was not a trace of youki left where that hoard had been." The youngest just shook her head silently at the other two. "And don't thou shake thy head at me, child!" she scolded. Hiei reached up to untie the ward but as soon as he'd started to remove it the old woman looked up over her shoulder right at the place where he hid in the shadows and he quickly replaced it. The elder turned back to the others. "It has been almost five hundred years since I felt an evil that immense. It's a bad omen, I tell ye. Dark days lie ahead and it will be many moons before we will walk in the light again," she warned.

The baby stirred against the youngest woman's chest and she patted its back soothingly, cooing softly to the infant. She glared at her grandmother. "You're upsetting the baby," she scolded her.

The elder frowned. "If thou had listened to me we would be home now instead of in this filthy city, and thy babe would be suckling by the warm fire."

"Obaa-san," the young woman said in exasperation when the baby began to cry.

The conversation moved away from the subject of the hoard and Hiei flitted thoughtfully away across the rooftops. It was dark now and the street lamps were being lit. He needed to get back to the inn and contact Kurama and Koenma to pass on what he'd learned here. He also needed to make sure the miko hadn't gotten herself into any trouble. He hadn't felt any flare ups of her holy energy, so at least that was a good sign.

When he got back to their hotel room he wasn't surprised to find it empty. He noticed two shopping bags by her bed and a note on the nightstand that just said she'd be back by ten. He looked at the clock on the nightstand. It read 10:36. He nearly growled in frustration and left to head back downstairs. In the lobby he stopped by the front desk. The same young water spirit who had checked them in smiled shyly at him as he walked up to counter.

"Have you seen the woman I was with?" he asked her curtly.

She looked a little put out, but nodded. "Last time I saw her she was headed to the game room," she answered, batting her lashes at him and trying to make him meet her eyes.

Hiei ignored her and left the desk without so much as a thank you, following the signs that pointed to the game room. He entered a dimly lit room filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol and the low buzz of conversation. There was a bar next to the door where several men sat nursing beers, throwing occasional glances over to a round table in the corner where the miko sat with four hulking youkai playing some kind of card game. She had a stack of gold coins in front of her that he knew she hadn't come in with. Surprised and admittedly intrigued, he ordered a beer and took a seat quietly at an empty table on the other side of the room. Kagome didn't seem to have noticed his entrance as she looked from her own hand to the line of face-up cards in the middle of the table. She grinned and threw two more gold coins into the pot. There were groans from all around the table.

Two of the youkai threw down their cards with a bitter "Fold." The other two eyed her suspiciously and threw in two of their own coins. The dealer flipped another card over. Kagome pushed a stack of eight gold coins into the pot. One demon folded and the last stared her down hard. The miko had an admirable poker face, smiling pleasantly back at him with no indication of the nerves the other one was feeling. "Well?" she asked after a few quiet moments had passed. The horned demon began to sweat, his fists the size of her head clutching his hand shakily. He growled lowly at her and she just continued to smile openly back at him. Finally, he threw down his cards on the table. "Fold," he growled.

Her smile broadened and she put down her cards to sweep the pot into her own pile of money. The last youkai leaned over and flipped over the hand she'd thrown down to reveal a three of diamonds and a six of spades. He growled low in his throat and slammed his fist down on the table, causing everyone's drinks to rattle. "You were bluffing!" he accused.

"Now, Jun, bluffing is part of the game. You can't be sore over that," she assured him, patting his clenched fist in a friendly manner. Hiei couldn't believe it when the youkai just growled again and sat back down angrily in his chair. Kagome smiled at him and shouted over to the bartender. "Another round, please!" and she motioned to their table. The waiter brought over five beers to the table and Kagome gave him one of her coins, telling him to keep the change.

The youkai beside her laughed and slapped her on the back. She lurched forward under the impact but didn't lose her smile as she passed her cards back to the dealer and he shuffled. "Lady Kagome, you're a shark! Are you going to keep buying us beers and taking our money all night?"

She laughed and winked at him, taking a sip of her beer. "I'll take your money as long as you're willing to keep throwing it at me." They all laughed at that and even the disgruntled demon who'd faced off with her seemed to be in better spirits as he downed the beer she'd bought him and ordered another.

After assuring himself that she was alright, Hiei finished his beer and slipped quietly back out into the hallway and back up to their room. He sat down on his bed and flipped open his communicator. "Kurama," he said, and after a few moments his face appeared on the little round screen. He didn't miss the fox's searching look around the screen. "Hiei," he greeted the fire apparition in his usual smooth tones and pleasant mask.

Hiei nodded in greeting. "I have been able to gather some information from the travelers here," he told the kitsune. He relayed what he'd heard from the bat youkai and the old lady.

"Disappeared," the fox repeated thoughtfully. "There had to be a portal of some kind there. But more important than the how is the why. Lesser youkai don't swarm like that without provocation… or a ringleader."

"I wouldn't have really taken the old lady seriously, but she detected the Jagan before I even had the ward completely off," Hiei grudgingly admitted.

Kurama smiled, but then his face took on a more serious expression. "I have bad news from Koenma. There's been another accidental attack, and this one was extremely public. It's been all over the Ningenkai news." Kurama sighed and looked very tired all of a sudden. "It was Amaya, at a concert last night." At Hiei's blank expression, the fox shook his head and gave him a disbelieving look. "i know you pay more attention to the Ningenkai than you let on. The black kitsune on all the billboards."

Hiei looked nonplussed. "It would be a kitsune prancing around on a stage."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, I'm sure there's an opening in the government sector somewhere for a nasty little assassin." Hiei shrugged as though he was indifferent to the idea. The fox tucked a stray strand of red hair behind his ear and continued in grave tones. "She was performing last night in Tokyo and when she reached down to touch the hand of a fan the young woman accidentally gave her a shock. She's alright, just a little singed and weak. I think the human woman is more distraught than Amaya, but I can't say the same for her father. He is well known in the borderlands with a fairly large territory, Lord Iwamori, and he's threatening retribution against the human girl."

"Has border patrol been alerted?" the fire apparition asked.

The fox nodded. "Yes, they have been instructed not to let him or anyone in his court to pass. Koenma has put him on Kagame's priority list. After she meets with Mukuro and Yomi he wants her to skip Yusuke's territory and head straight for the borderlands. He's sending Botan tomorrow to collect you both and transport you to Mukuro."

Just then the door of the hotel room opened and Kagome stepped through the threshold. "Thank you so much for walking me to my room, Shinusuke, but I'm afraid I'll have to turn down the nightcap. I have to get an early start in the morning," she said to someone in the hallway. "Goodnight," she said cheerily and quietly clicked the door shut, leaning her back against it and giving the fire apparition seated on the bed a tired smile. "Good evening, Hiei," and, noticing the face in the open communicator, she laid down her bow and crawled across the bed to look over Hiei's shoulder and give Kurama a small wave, greeting him somewhat shyly, "and good evening to you, Kurama."

The fox smiled neutrally and dipped his head. "Good evening, Kagome. I hope you have enjoyed Shisou."

Hiei, a little uncomfortable with her familiar proximity, handed the communicator over to Kagome who settled back on her heels and held it cradled in her palms. Hiei moved away to the bathroom, shutting the door to shower in privacy while the two chatted. He caught the tail end of the regaling of her shopping trip downtown and was glad he wouldn't have to sit in on that conversation. He didn't really understand why Kurama was so focused on the girl, although she was admittedly very attractive, but then again they did have nearly four centuries of strange history between them. He let the scalding water soothe his muscles and let his mind mull over the recent events in the Ningenkai and how much more difficult this was going to make the miko's job. He had never put much faith into Koenma's plans.

When he stepped out of the shower he found Kagome lying across her bed on her stomach in her sweatpants and t-shirt, counting her loot from the evening. Out of curiosity, he asked, "How much did you win?"

She looked up in surprise. "How did you…? Never mind," she laughed, "about 6,000 in this Makai money. The lady at the front desk was nice enough to change coins to bills for me. How much is that in yen?"

Hiei honestly didn't know. He shrugged. "I don't make a habit of shopping in the Ningenkai."

Kagome shook her head at his typically arrogant response. He settled down on his bed, sitting up against the pillows, and laid his sword beside him. He'd kept his pants on but shed his shirt to be more comfortable. He planned to sleep for a couple of hours tonight. The miko glanced over at him surreptitiously, noticing the hard lines of his stomach and his broad shoulders. She blushed and set her eyes resolutely back on her stack of bills as she folded them and tucked them into one of the pockets of her backpack. She rolled onto her back and stretched out. "It's so nice to sleep in a real bed for once," she sighed happily.

"Hn," Hiei answered, his eyes closed and his hands folded across his stomach.

After a few minutes Kagome rolled over onto her side to face him and propped her head up on one elbow. "The girl at the front desk was asking after you," she told him shyly. He didn't even indicate that he had heard her. "She's very pretty," she tried again. He only raised a brow, not bothering to open his eyes. "Well, you probably have some nice fire lady waiting for you anyway, one who enjoys mutual glaring and, you know, chopping things," she teased.

He only grunted and she sighed in exasperation. "Alright, Mr. Talkative, I guess I'll stop bothering you and just go to bed." She pulled the cover up over her and rolled into it, cocooning herself. She really had missed sleeping in a bed and she was just on the verge of falling asleep moments later when Hiei's voice reached her through the fog of sleep. "We will arrive at Mukuro's in the morning." She mumbled that Kurama had told her and was unconscious before he shut out the bedside light.


	7. Chapter 6: The First

AN: Sorry for the wait! Life got crazy for a while. Thanks for hanging in there. As always, thanks for reviewing, and I hope to hear more from my readers! Enjoy!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 6: The First**

Kagome surfaced into consciousness early in the morning to the sounds of panic. At first the shouts seemed far away, as though she were hearing them from under water. Her mind moved sluggishly, trying to recall the last threads of the dream she had been having. Something about a spider… and then dread, intense cold dread had washed over her and she'd been shocked awake. The sounds of screaming from outside came into focus. Her eyes shot open and she tried to sit up, falling back onto her back with her hair in her face when she found her limbs were wrapped tightly in her blankets. She tossed her head to get the hair out of her eyes and the ceiling came into focus. That's right! She was in a hotel in Shisou!

She looked over to the other bed. Hiei was gone. She heard panicked voices and thundering footsteps run past her door and renewed her struggle to free herself from the blankets. With a grunt she managed to shimmy the top half of her body out of the blanket, losing her balance on the edge of the bed and landing with a thump on the plush carpet. She groaned, rolling over and kicking to free her ankles from the blanket. She raised her head to look at the clock on the bedside table. "6:04? What the hell is going on out there?" she mumbled to herself. She stood up and looked around for a note or any indication of her missing companion's whereabouts. When she found none, she stepped into the bathroom to relieve herself and splash water on her face in an effort to wake up.

 _'Miko!'_ Kagome jumped when she heard Hiei's voice as though he were standing right next to her.

After gathering herself, she answered mentally, _'Hiei? What's going on? Where are you?'_

 _'About three miles north of the city. Are you still in the room?'_

 _'Yes, but there's some kind of commotion outside.'_

 _'Get dressed and get out of there. I received a call from Mukuro hours ago that something had destroyed two small farming communities in her territory, just a few miles north of my position. I've been following the thing responsible all morning and it's heading straight for Shisou.'_

 _'Can't you destroy it?"_

 _'Don't you think I've tried?'_ Kagome winced, realizing she'd offended his pride. He went on grudgingly, _'Every time I cut it, it splits off into smaller youkai. Even fire only repels it temporarily. I have an attack that could devour it alive, but I'm too close to the city to use it without endangering everyone there. I need you to evacuate the city, get everyone to head to the South Gate!'_

 _'How am I supposed to do that?!'_ the miko asked in annoyance, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. While she had been talking to him she'd brushed her teeth and tied her hair off in a quick braid. She paced back out into the room to pull on fresh underclothes, leggings, and a green sundress.

 _'Go to the town hall, we passed it yesterday coming in, and tell them I sent you and that Mukuro has ordered immediate evacuation!'_

Kagome slung her bow over her shoulder and turned to leave. At the last moment however, she stooped next to her backpack and pulled most of the clothing out, slung the now lighter bag over her shoulder and then stepped out the door. She gasped as a maid rushed past her down the hall, slamming into her shoulder without apology in her hurry. "Hey!" she cried indignantly. The woman didn't look back at her. The miko righted herself and started quickly down the hall towards the elevator. Thinking better of it, she took the stairs instead to the first floor. The lobby was filled with youkai loitering with their luggage, casting panicked looks out the large windows to the courtyard and trying to check out at the front desk. There were many mothers standing along the walls, clutching their crying children, and many youkai she recognized as vendors from the flea market just outside looking as though they had rushed in to take shelter. She approached the doors and the tanuki she'd bought lunch from yesterday caught her by the elbow. He looked at her with wide eyes. "No, miss, you mustn't go out there! There are terrible things in the sky!"

"What kind of terrible things?" she asked.

He shook his head and gulped. "Terrible, evil youkai like I've never seen before. They are snatching people out of the streets, eating them alive as they are carried away!" Before he could stop her she had rushed out into the pandemonium. There were people running in all directions, trying to find cover and screaming as winged creatures the size of men with scaled black flesh and glowing green eyes swooped at them from overhead. Quickly opening the first of her seals, the miko raised her bow, pulled back the string to form a glowing pink arrow of pure holy energy, aimed and released at one of the creatures in the sky. The arrow streaked towards the demon with deadly speed and accuracy, lighting up the still dim street before it found its target. The youkai screeched and burst into ashes, renewing the panic as every youkai in the plaza cringed under the hair-raising display of holy reiki, their most basic instincts telling them to get as far away as possible from the newest threat.

Ignoring the people now fleeing from her as well as the winged monsters above, she took out four more in quick succession. With most of them cleared out of the sky over the courtyard, she looked out across the street to a small mass of them descending on two women. She took off towards them, re-slinging her bow as she realized she risked purifying the women too if she used her holy arrows. Another youkai had answered the women's screams of terror and was trying to fight off the demons clawing at the terrified girls. They clearly weren't fighters, but they were fighting back with claws and teeth desperately to get away from them. One of the beasts had gone after the man while the other three tried to sink their teeth into the women, growling and snapping at them hungrily.

When she reached them she immediately grabbed with both hands the flailing, long scaly tail of the closest creature, her entire body glowing as she flooded her muscles, bones, and tendons with her reiki, and forcibly pulled it off of its screaming prey, its teeth ripping away a chunk of flesh from the arm of the woman it had latched onto. The creature screeched in pain as the scales of its tail where she held onto it began to burn and flake away at her touch. With a shout, Kagome swung the youkai around behind her and just as she released it on the back swing she channeled a wave of reiki through her palms and reduced the screeching thing to a cloud of glittering black ashes. They rained down around her, but she ignored it in favor of the other two gargoyles. By now, they had both turned their attention away from the struggling women and focused on her. The young women, both wounded but able to stand, helped one another up and ran to safety.

The remaining two creatures descended on her, gnashing their teeth in excitement. Kagome spun into a high kick, dodging her first attacker. Its momentum carried it past its target where it rolled on the brick street and came to a stop on all fours, its huge black talons putting deep gashes into the ground. It screeched, whipped its scaled tail angrily and, folding the bat wings against its back, charged her from behind. Still spinning on the balls of one foot, the miko pushed and gathered excess energy down along the airborne leg where it left her body at her foot in a soccer ball-sized glowing pink orb. Inertia and a well-timed flick of her ankle sent the energy ball into the chest of her second attacker, reducing the youkai to ash. Using the momentum to bring her body back around to face the first one rushing at her with bared teeth, she raised her hand just in time to release a second, more compact ball of energy straight into its gaping maw. It screamed and disintegrated instantly.

Panting, Kagome stopped to catch her breath. She couldn't hear anything beyond the rush of her own blood in her ears, the pounding of her heart. Looking down at her hands in wonder, she saw they were trembling. Standing yards away behind a bow was one thing, literally grabbing death by the tail and feeling it dissolve in your hands under an onslaught of your own life energy was entirely another. Maybe it was the adrenaline talking, but she felt so _right,_ somehow. She felt as though she was doing what she was born to do, like an artist picking up a paintbrush for the first time. Upon later reflection, she would recall also in that moment feeling a strange tingle at the back of her neck, just at the base of her skull. Now, however, she was too on edge to notice.

The sounds of fighting brought the miko back to the present and, shaking her head, she turned to help the man still fighting off the youkai that had attacked him. Somehow, another had joined its brother and now he was struggling to fend off two of them. Kagome gasped when she recognized the youkai as one of those she'd met the night before in the game room. "Satoru!" she yelled, rushing to grab one of the beasts by the tail like she'd done the first when she caught it by surprise. If it worked once, maybe it would again.

She easily dispatched it and just like before the second one turned its attention on her. But this one seemed to have learned something from the deaths of its brethren. It bared its teeth at her, hissing and snapping its jaws threateningly, before taking to the sky and flying off over the buildings to the north. Kagome noticed many of the creatures fleeing overhead in that direction and wondered why they were suddenly leaving and what they had to do with the unidentified hostile youkai Hiei said was approaching the city.

"Satoru! Are you alright?" she asked, reaching to help him stand. He reached for her hand but hesitated when he felt the unpleasant heat of her unsealed holy energy brush against him. Kagome snatched her hand back, looking mortified. "Oh, Satoru, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"It's alright," the hulking horned youkai waved off her apology and shuffled to his feet, breathing heavily and looking more than a little embarrassed to have needed her help. Still, he was grateful. "I would never have guessed you were a miko," he shook his head, chuckling and holding a hand over the torn flesh of his shoulder. Black blood oozed sluggishly from the wound but he would be ok.

Kagome shrugged, not quite knowing what to say. She spent a moment tightening the straps on her backpack and turned to head toward the North gate. She told her friend, "I don't know why this is happening, but there's something worse than these gargoyle things heading toward the city from the North. Get to City Hall and tell them, by order of Mukuro, to start evacuating via the South Gate."

The large man nodded seriously and turned to head towards City Hall. He stopped when he remembered something. "That thing, I tore it in half and it became two. I've never seen anything like that. Be careful, Lady Kagome."

She smiled and dipped her head respectfully. "You as well, Satoru." Then she turned and ran North.

Remembering the fire apparition, she tried calling for him mentally, not quite sure if he'd be able to hear her. _'Hiei! Can you hear me?'_

She thought he hadn't heard her but after a few moments his voice slithered into her head. It was a strange sensation, to feel something foreign in your own mind, and it gave her a sense of deja vu. A sharp pain suddenly bloomed from the base of her skull, feeling like something had pierced her there. The suddenness and intensity of it caused her to cry out. She stopped running, putting a hand hesitantly to the back of her neck, expecting to feel blood. But there was nothing there, not even a bump or a bruise. As she felt around the pain dulled and faded completely. The spot wasn't even tender.

"What the hell was that?" she asked the empty street.

 _'Miko! What is happening? What was that pain?'_

Kagome was suddenly brought back into the moment. She had missed the first part of whatever he'd said, judging by the annoyance in his voice. She shook her head and started running again. A siren started sounding overhead and she put her hands over her ears as she passed under one of the speakers. _'I'll ask how you knew that later, but I don't know what it was. I'm not hurt anyway. There were weird scaly gargoyle things attacking people a few minutes ago but they all suddenly left in your direction. I'm coming to you.'_

 _'Don't! Mukuro will be here shortly with reinforcements. I'm going to try to hold this thing off from getting into the city. Just get everyone out the South Gate!'_

The retreat of the hungry youkai in the sky and the sound of the siren was bringing people out of the buildings, looking warily over their heads for any sign of the creatures. Kagome pushed past them, trying her best not to touch anyone. Although distracted, most of the youkai in the streets had enough instinct to move out of her way. The siren faded and a voice came over the loudspeaker. The crowds fell silent, mothers trying to quiet their frightened children to hear the announcement. "Attention, this is not a drill! By order of Mukuro, Shisou is to be evacuated immediately. Everyone please proceed in an orderly fashion to the South Gate! I repeat, the North Gate will be impassable, proceed immediately to the South Gate for evacuation! This is not a drill!" And the siren started up again.

The people hesitated, looking around in confusion and talking about what this could mean amongst themselves. Kagome, who by this time had almost reached the North Gate, nearly tripped when the earth suddenly shook under her feet followed closely by a sound like the rumble of distant thunder. A few seconds passed and then there was another quake. Every hair on her stood up and a cold chill ran through her body. She knew that feeling, but she hadn't felt it in a very long time. It was the feeling of evil. Not the feeling of youki, but of something so lost in the darkness that it could never find its way to the light again. The miko shivered despite the warmth of the summer sun just beginning to pour over the walls of the city. She had a terrible notion that those quakes were footsteps. By now people were moving quickly to the south end of the city, urged on by the insistent sirens and the strange earthquakes.

Up ahead the fifty foot North Gate loomed. The gates were closing. She waved her hands over her head and shouted to the enormous guard turning the large wheel that controlled the gates. "Hey! Hey! Hold the gate, I need to get through!"

The twenty foot tall ogre in the gray guard's uniform paid her no mind. Kagome continued to yell at him as she got closer. From one of the guard's towers overhead she heard someone shout her name. "Lady Kagome?!"

She came to a stop at the base of the tower just as the gate closed and the ogre stood back and wiped the back of his hand across his gleaming brow. He still hadn't seemed to notice her. "Shinusuke?!" she yelled, recognizing the voice.

"Lady Kagome, what are you doing here? Didn't you hear the announcement?! You must get out of the city, go to the South Gate!" the young man yelled down to her. He'd met and taken a liking to the human woman the night before in the game room at the Shisou Inn where he'd been waiting for his sister, who worked at the front desk, to clock out so he could walk her home. He'd bought the enchanting girl a drink and talked to her for about twenty minutes at the bar. He remembered she had the most incredible, expressive blue eyes.

"I have to get out here, Shinusuke, please! Something terrible is coming!" She pleaded with him.

"I know, I can see it!" he answered, disbelief in his voice. He said lower, almost to himself. "I've never seen anything like it."

Kagome, tired of standing around, spotted the ladder that would take her up to the top of the tower and ran over to it. She started the vertical five story climb to the top, gripping the metal bars tightly, thankful for the non-slip soles of her running shoes as the ladder rattled with the quakes.

"Lady Kagome, please," the young water spirit pleaded with her as she crested the top of the ladder. Despite his pleas for her to turn back, Shinusuke reached out a hand to help pull her over the lip of the lookout. However, he jerked his hand back with a look of confusion as she crested the wall and swung herself over into the lookout. Unconsciously, he backed as far away from her as he could. He rubbed his arms, feeling like his skin was crawling.

The miko didn't even glance at him, her wide, astonished gaze focused on the massive creature making it's way across the flat farmlands in an unmistakable path to the city. She gasped at the sheer size of the thing. It was hard to tell from this distance, but she'd guess it was at least twice as tall as the wall she stood on. It was vaguely human-shaped with four limbs and a head, but its entire mass looked to be a roiling lake of black oil. The surface of it shown iridescent blues, purples, and greens in the early morning sunlight like a puddle of oil, but contradictorily it seemed to be solid. Kagome pulled the Rei-pedia out of her backpack and flipped it open. Aiming the sensor towards the creature and zooming to focus on it, she took a snapshot of its energy signature. The image remained on the screen for several long seconds, as if the computer was having trouble identifying it, and then the screen began to scroll rapidly with hundreds of entries. She tried to tap one, any of them, but the list was being added to quicker than the computer could pull up any one entry. She shook her head in confusion. "What does that mean?" she mumbled to herself.

By this time Shinusuke had overcome his discomfort enough to take a couple of steps towards the miko. He shivered and stopped a few feet away from her. He watched her looking at that strange device she'd pulled out of her bag that looked like one of those things the humans in Ningenkai had their faces in all the time and wondered not for the first time what a human was doing in Makai. As far as he knew, the Makai air was toxic to them. He hadn't paid any mind to it last night when his thoughts were clouded with beer but now that he saw her in the daylight with that aura that made his skin want to crawl right off his bones he was suspicious.

"Lady Kagome…" The miko looked up at him wild-eyed as though she'd just remembered he was there. He swallowed and steeled himself against his instinct to run. "What are you?" he asked.

"What do you mean? I'm human, of course," she answered, wondering where he was going with this.

"I've never met a human that felt like you do. I've never met _anyone_ who feels like you do… I feel like something inside me is trying to tell me to get away from you, but…" he didn't know how to put it into words.

"Oh!" Kagome had forgotten she still had one seal open. She closed it quickly and Shinusuke seemed to relax visibly. He curiously eyed the tattoos on her wrists that he'd first noticed the night before. "I'm a miko."

"Miko!" Shinusuke said in astonishment. "But you're so… beautiful!" he burst out, his cheeks reddening when he realized what he'd said.

Kagome laughed and averted her eyes when she felt her own cheeks getting hot, not accustomed to getting such honest compliments. "Thanks," she said. She snapped the Rei-pedia shut and put it away, pulled out a pair of binoculars instead to get a better look at the creature. While she looked, she asked him, "Shinusuke, how old are you?"

"One hundred and eighty three," he told her, straightening his posture in a subconscious show of pride, his broad, attractive shoulders accentuated in his sharp gray guard's uniform.

"Ah," Kagome said as though he was confirming what she'd suspected.

"Well how old are you, then?" he asked her, defensive.

"Four hundred and something. Can't remember exactly," she answered distractedly. "What is that thing?" she mumbled to herself. Through the binoculars she found that there was not much more to the creature than what could be seen at a distance. She could, however, see Hiei dart in and out of her line of sight around its feet.

"I didn't know humans lived that long!" the water apparition said in surprise to which Kagome answered distractedly, "They don't normally. I'm a special case." The young youkai came up beside her to look out at the creature getting closer to the city. When the miko lowered her binoculars, he asked if he could use them.

"Sure," she told him, handing them over and reaching back into her bag, searching for something. She made a noise of triumph when she found what she was looking for. Pulling out a length of rope, she tied one end to one of the thick stone pillars holding the roof of the lookout tower. She tugged it to make sure it was secure before climbing over the rim and stood with the tips of her toes on the scant ledge, the rope held tightly in both hands.

"Hey!" Shinusuke told her, realizing what she was doing. "You can't go down there!"

"I have to," she said with a wry smile. "Listen, get your sister and get out of the city. I'm going to try to stop whatever this thing is." With that, she began lowering herself down the outside of the fifty foot wall.

"Wait!" Shinusuke said, leaning over the edge to catch her gaze from ten feet below. "What about your binoculars?"

She grinned and winked at him. "I'll be back for them!"

When she reached the ground she could no longer see the creature beyond the residential buildings and the smaller wall of the outer city, but she could still feel its footsteps getting stronger by the minute and the chill of evil skating across her flesh. The sirens were sounding out here too, and to her relief there were no signs of any residents. They had heeded the mayor's announcement. She took off running down the main street, her footsteps muted in the quiet of the early dawn and the dew-softened dirt road. She reached out to Hiei again.

 _'Hiei, I'm almost to you!'_

 _'Miko!'_ he answered immediately, the warning clear in his voice. _'Is it just a human thing to completely ignore what you are told to do?'_ he bit out in irritation.

 _'No, it's a Kagome thing,'_ she answered petulantly, giving him the impression of sticking out her tongue.

 _'I'm going to try to set up a fire barrier to slow it down. Position yourself at a distance and try your holy arrows,'_ he instructed her, realizing she wasn't going to do the sensible thing and get to safety.

 _'Yes, mother,'_ she said sarcastically. She didn't receive an answer.

When she cleared the open gate of the outer city she could finally see the creature making its way across the fields of growing vegetables, destroying valuable produce in its wake in a determined path to the city. She gasped when she finally came to appreciate the size of it. It was the size of a ten story building, black and viscous like oil. She was surprised to notice it didn't leave a residue where it stepped, as it truly did look like a liquid.

She spotted a barn about 150 yards away and ran towards it, channeling reiki into her legs to boost her speed. When she reached the barn the creature was still at least 600 yards away. She could just barely make out the small, darting form of her companion ahead of the giant. Kagome dropped her backpack off her shoulder next to the barn and crouched down, peeking around the corner. Without thinking she passed her bow over her head and down her arm to rest on the ground when the string had begun to dig into her collar in the crouched position. She lost sight of Hiei for a few seconds and then suddenly a thick, high wall of blazing fire sprung up in a half-moon around the creature, stopping it in its tracks. The mouthless thing somehow produced a terrible, high-pitched screech and Kagome threw her hands up to cover her ears. It stumbled back, waving its arms around its head to ward off the sudden blast of heat. It began back tracking and searching for a way to escape the fire.

Knowing an opportunity when she saw one, she quickly opened two seals, swiped up her bow from the ground, and drew a holy arrow in one fluid motion. Not giving the creature the time to sense and react to the massive surge of holy energy, she sent a mental warning to Hiei and let the arrow loose. Even in the red light of dawn spilling over the horizon, the blinding pink light of her reiki lit up the fields and erased the long shadow of the creature. However, it was quicker than it first appeared. The youkai felt the imminent threat of holy energy and just when it looked like the arrow would make impact the creature, as gigantic as it was and how small the projectile had been, split its midsection open into a perfectly round hole, allowing the arrow that might have done it serious damage to pass through harmlessly. The youkai's mass flowed smoothly back in to fill the hole and the arrow lost velocity and dissolved some distance behind miko swore under her breath and ducked back behind the barn, leaning against the smooth, weathered wood.

 _'It was an admirable attempt, miko. How many seals do you have open?'_ Hiei's voice reached into her mind again. She was surprised not to hear a note of sarcasm in his voice. She had failed pretty miserably.

 _'Two. I thought I might need it.'_ Kagome tried not to let on how anxious she had just become. That was pretty much her strongest attack. What else could she do?

There was a long, quiet pause. The miko wondered if he had heard her. Maybe he just didn't have anything to say about how pathetic that attack had been. Her grip tightened around the smooth, polished wood of her bow. The weight of it and the texture comforted her. She closed her eyes and tried to remember how powerful she had felt that first time she had ever drawn her bow and actually hit her mark, Yura's cursed skull. She'd had her first taste of power then, a peek into what could be, how she could control and shape this terrifying new magical world around her, how she could be the writer of her own destiny. She opened her eyes and settled them on her target. Kagome knew what she had to do.


	8. Chapter 7: Cocktail Party

AN: Sorry again for the wait, and thank you for reviewing. Also I'd like to thank foxgloves for recommending my fic! I'm flattered that you enjoy it enough to recommend it! Please enjoy!

* * *

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 7: Cocktail Party**

Hidzume carefully painted her last pinky nail and screwed the brush and lid back onto the sparkling little bottle of silver nail polish, mindful not to smudge her manicure. She held her hands out at arms length and admired the way her fingers glittered in the early morning sunlight. She looked down at the image of the woman in the magazine she'd pilfered last night when she'd snuck into Shisou while her brother Waikyoku was handling their eldest brother. Admiring the stylish woman's short, multi-colored hair and her sparkling silver high heels, the young youkai wished not for the first time that she could wear shoes. An idea occurred to her and she eyed the bottle of nail polish.

"Do you think this would cover both my hooves?" she asked her brother. He stood a few feet away, cloaked in his usual black garments. She'd only ever seen his face once. She shuddered at the memory. Once was enough.

"What?" he asked in irritation, his focus on their massive brother down in the fields a mile away. They were positioned on the highest point in the area, a hill where a farmer and his family had built their home, in order to get a clear view of the action.

"It's just, I don't wanna paint one hoof and not have enough for the other," she answered, holding the little bottle up to one of her hooves and looking doubtful. She shook her head and muttered to herself, "I'll have to get another bottle for that."

"I don't care about your inane little human fascinations, you brat. Get over here and pay attention to what's going on," her brother scolded her.

The girl rolled her eyes and put the bottle away in the purple velvet pouch she carried on her hip. Unfolding her long equine legs, she hopped down off the back of the hay wagon she'd been sitting on and plodded over to Waikyoku. She wasn't very tall, only five feet, but she had some more growing to do. Even so, she dwarfed her brother. He stood between three and four feet tall, but other than that it was impossible to tell anything about his appearance, hidden as he was in the depths of his black cloak. "What's there to see? I've seen him eat plenty of people before, why is this time important?"

Waikyoku paused. Hidzume knew this meant he was irritated with her. "These are the people who will kill our brother."

"Kill him? How? No one can kill him," she said. It was true. He could change the shape of his body and that made him pretty difficult to hurt. Paired with his ravenous appetite, there was just no hope for these people, as far as she could see.

"That girl. She will be the one to kill him. Watch," he told her.

"Is she the one Master talks about?" Hidzume asked.

"Of course she is. Have you been listening to nothing Master has told you regarding our objectives?"

"Ugh, he just goes on and on and oooooon…" She made a face meant to look like she was dying of boredom.

There was a very long pause. "Just watch."

Hidzume scrunched her nose in distaste, watching with hooded lilac eyes that did nothing to hide her disinterest. "Who's the fast guy again?"

"The Jaganshi, one of Koenma's dogs," Waikyoku answered her, wondering why their Master even kept her in the first place. She was next to useless, in his opinion. She was air-headed and immature. The only thing she was good for was wielding that damned oar. It didn't seem to work for anyone else.

"You think you can take him?" the girl asked her brother, cornering her eyes at him mischievously.

Waikyoku was silent for a few moments. He could have been seriously considering the fire apparition's abilities, or he could have been struggling to reign in his temper. Hidzume was never sure. "His abilities are artificial. He must overpower and coerce the Jagan to work for him. I was born with my abilities and I have far better control of them. I am confident that, when the time comes, his powers of the mind will prove paltry next to mine."

His sister had already stopped listening. The nail polish had dried and she was running her fingers through her long, straight platinum hair, trying to picture how she'd look with a few of the different hairstyles she'd seen in the magazine. Suddenly a flash of blinding white light lit up the valley, drowning out the pale morning sunlight for a few hair-raising seconds. She saw the light first, but then a wave of something that set her teeth on edge washed over her and it took every ounce of her will not to run or cower. As it was, she froze on the spot, every muscle in her body tensed to spring and her heart pounding in her chest. After a few tense moments the light and the terrifying energy dissipated. She slumped visibly, shaking from the rush of adrenaline that strange energy had ignited in her. "What was that?" she gasped, clutching a hand to her pounding breast.

Amazingly, her brother seemed unaffected. She looked down into the valley and across the fields to the suddenly epic battle that seemed to be unfolding. Her eldest brother seemed unaffected as well. But she had felt that energy, something the youkai in her instinctively knew could eliminate every last wisp of her existence. She knew that even if they were better at masking their discomfort, they were just as susceptible to whatever had just been unleashed in the fields north of Shisou.

Shivering, she rubbed her arms as if she couldn't get warm. The muscles in her thighs twitched and her hooves stomped anxiously. "What _was_ that?"

His voice low and ominous, he answered her. "That… is how our brother will die." Hidzume didn't miss the cruel pleasure in his tone. That was never a good sign.

—

Kagome looked out over the expanse of field between her and the half ring of fire that blurred her view of the monster on the other side. Even through the curtain of smoke rising up around it, she could see that it remained unfazed by her latest slew of arrows. She'd tried a few more after the first failed attempt, just to see if it could dodge several at a time. It had managed to evade the three pronged attack she'd let loose at it, with the exception of one which passed through one of its "hands." It had burned a very narrow hole through the oil-like substance of its body and the miko had watched, amazed, as half a dozen of the creatures she'd seen attacking people within the walls of Shisou sprang from the end of its wounded hand as though they had been scared out of hiding by the proximity of the holy energy. They had immediately flown overhead of the creature and began looking for something to attack, presumably, when she had acted quickly and took them all out in quick succession with more of her holy arrows.

Kneeling again behind the barn, the miko propped her bow up against the side of the building and pulled her bag closer to her. "This is getting me nowhere. I need something else…" she muttered to herself, pouring the contents of her backpack into the grass, looking for something she could use against this thing. Hair brush, shampoo and soap, bandages, rubbing alcohol, water bottles, towels, pocket knife, collapsable fishing pole, flint stones… her hand passed over a canister of salt. She'd brought it to season the game she'd undoubtedly be living on for most of her campaign, but for some reason her mind conjured up a memory from her days training with Yusuke. It was one of the nights Yukina had come up to their cabin to heal her. That night the kind, quiet koorime had taught her about defensive barriers… "A barrier!" Kagome exclaimed to herself.

Hiei suddenly appeared beside her. Scowling, the fire apparition reached for her arm but stopped short a few inches from touching her. She still had two seals open. Touching her wouldn't kill him, but it could considerably weaken his energy reserves and would probably burn like hell besides. "Mukuro is only minutes away. You will fall back and seek shelter while we handle this."

The human girl wasn't paying him any attention. She was rifling through the pile of useful items, muttering under her breath as her hands touched different things. "Alcohol… glass bottle… just need something to bind it…"

"Miko, are you hearing me? Your arrows had little effect on this thing and it will escape the fire wall soon enough. You need to get back," Hiei reiterated, annoyed and ready to pull her up forcefully, holy reiki be damned.

"Wait! I think I have a plan!" she said excitedly, holding up the canister of salt and the bottle of rubbing alcohol.

The fire apparition eyed the two objects doubtfully. "What sort of plan, onna?"

"Have you ever heard of a Molotov Cocktail?" she asked. Grinning triumphantly, she went through her plan to contain and then destroy the marauding giant threatening the city of Shisou.

Hiei appeared to be considering it for a few moments. Then, he shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous. Your mission is too important to risk yourself before you've even started."

Kagome crossed her ams defiantly. "I know I can do this, Hiei. You saw that thing in action. If you can't wound it without it splitting into a hundred more pieces, all with a full set of teeth and a nasty appetite, and even fire is only repelling it temporarily, what will Mukuro and her team do once they get here?"

"We will come up with something," Hiei countered.

"Face it, I'm your best bet. I'm the only one around here with holy energy and that seems to be the only thing that's affected it so far. And isn't this supposed to be my job? Isn't this what I spent four months training for? To be able to handle myself and show myself to be a force to be reckoned with in the Makai? What's it going to look like to Mukuro when I run away with my tail between my legs when her people needed me?" Kagome argued, her jaw set stubbornly and her stormy blue eyes flashing with an inner fire she'd only just begun to understand.

Hiei knew the miko was right, but was loathe to admit it. He glared down at her and looked out at the creature screeching and backtracking out of the half circle of fire that had surrounded it. "Fine," he conceded. "We will try it, but if this doesn't work you will leave."

"Deal!" she agreed.

"What do I need to do?" he asked, albeit reluctantly.

A few minutes later the two of them stood a scant fifteen meters or so behind the towering monster. While the miko had taken the time to prepare what they needed it had made its way around the wall of fire and continued toward the walls of the city. It had made it onto the packed dirt road that led into the outer residential district of the city. Kagome, having opened a third seal on her holy energy, clutched two blue glass bottles in each hand and looked to her left where Hiei stood holding the large canister of salt. She found his gaze and dipped her head to signal that she was ready. "I had to open three seals. I'd like to offer a preemptive apology," she said, truly sorry for the pain she'd probably cause him.

"Hn," he dismissed it, "I am stronger than you realize if you think a few burns will bother me," he told her confidently.

Kagome just nodded once and said, "Be quick."

"I always am," he said before he disappeared.

Kagome looked up at the ravenous, terrifying youkai that towered over her and tried to steel her nerves. How had Inuyasha always made this look so easy? How had he always stared down impossible odds with a cocky grin and a light in his eyes that said he would never back down? She knew in her heart how he had been able to beat death so many times and to triumph over all the obstacles the journey for the shards of the Shikon no Tama had thrown their way. He had told her once, when she'd called him brave, that if he was brave it was because he had to be. It was because he had people to protect. And now, she had a city to protect. All the new friends she'd made in her short time in Shisou and all the ones she had yet to meet were in danger from this thing. Many had already fallen to it. And she was the only thing standing in its way.

What felt like an eternity to Kagome's wracked nerves but was actually only the span of four heart beats passed and Hiei was beside her again. "I ran out of salt before I could lay the 'fuse.'"

"Damnit! Did you have enough to close the circle?" she asked urgently, tucking the four bottles against her chest and turning her side to him to be picked up. Hiei spread his arms to indicate the gap in the circle before he picked up the swearing miko and hugged her against his chest. Kagome was doing her best to picture her energy in a tight, contained little ball at her center in an effort to minimize the "leakage" that would undoubtedly be causing Hiei great pain right about now. There was a rush of wind that stole her breath and then before she could blink twice she was being stood up at the feet of the giant clutching a round of Molotov Cocktails with four flaming wicks and the fire apparition had disappeared again.

She hadn't had time to notice that the beast, probably sensing the spike in holy power directly behind it a few seconds ago when she had opened up the third seal, had turned around in the circle of salt Hiei had laid in the soil around its feet and now faced her. Luckily, they had been quick enough that it had not had time to break the circle. Kagome glanced down at the gap in the ring of salt. If she crouched her fingers would just about reach the two ends of the salt line. She looked back up just in time to realize the thing had spotted her, although how without eyes she couldn't fathom, and screeched hideously. Kagome had to resist the urge to cover her ears against the sound. Taking a deep breath, hoping to draw into herself the courage she was sure was failing her, she channelled reiki into her shoulders and arms to put some force behind the four glass bottles thrown at the ground between the feet of the beast and crouched to stretch out her arms and complete the white saline circle on the packed dirt road.

The result was instantaneous and in fact it only lasted a matter of seconds. Later, Kagome would clearly remember the red flames chasing through the air the blue bottles that had once contained water, but now contained a combination of highly flammable rubbing alcohol and holy energy-charged salt, which was an excellent conductor of reiki, sealed with ofudas. A millisecond before the bottles hit the hard-packed earth a pink barrier sprung up in a circle around the creature, rising with imperceptible speed almost thirty meters to close over the beast's head. Then, the bottles broke and chaos erupted inside the dome.

Fire ignited along the streams of alcohol spread at the monster's feet. At the same time the ofudas, having broken with the glass of the bottles, unleashed a payload of holy reiki she had poured into the salt in the bottles. The combination of the two sent the entire roiling, oil-like mass of the giant youkai fleeing in every direction in the form of the ravenous gargoyles that had attacked the city earlier. Just as she had suspected, its entire body was made of them and they could be frightened out of "hiding" by a shock. Kagome didn't have time to think about it, though. Her chest was pressed so tightly to her thighs and her hands were stretched so far to reach the salt line that she could see nothing but the ground under her forehead. She didn't see the plumes of glittering ashes exploding on the other side of the barrier and being swirled around by the updraft of the fire like a ten story snow globe. Over the roar of her own heartbeat in her ears she couldn't even hear the terrified screeches of the panicked creatures as they met with the holy barrier.

Kagome couldn't determine how long she had knelt there pouring her reiki into the salt and straining to maintain the integrity of the wall against the barrage of frightened, instantly purified youkai. It seemed like an eternity to her. She remembered heat rushing along the backs of her shoulders and arms and thought the sun must have risen.

 _'Miko…'_

Blood still rushing in her ears, overtaxed muscles quivering in the rush of holy reiki and adrenaline, Hiei's voice didn't register at first. The fire apparition tried again and she came up out of the warm water of some timeless river, gasping as she realized again where she was. She'd forgotten for a moment. "Is it done?" she asked, her voice wavering.

She'd said it aloud instead of thinking it, but Hiei heard her. The valley was eerily quiet in the early morning sunlight, save for the crackle of the fire wall still raging in the distance. _'Your plan succeeded. The threat has been eliminated.'_

The barrier dropped and she pulled her hands into her body. She raised up enough to tuck them into her chest. Her shoulders ached. More than she thought they should. She slowly raised up and rested back on her haunches. She stared at the perfectly round mound of black ash as tall as she was, lined white with the salt. It seemed unreal to her, like a dream. A pain bloomed at the back of her neck suddenly, like it had before when she'd been trying to get out of the city, but it faded again before she could react. Maybe a pinched nerve… but the thought slipped out of her hands like a balloon before she could catch it.

"Miko-sama."

That wasn't Hiei's voice. Kagome twisted around, still seated on her knees and clutching her hands to her chest. She stared, wide-eyed, at the new-comers. A tall woman with short red hair and a bionic eye stood in front of a line of uniformed men and women. Hiei stood beside her. Kagome noticed the angry red blisters along his chest and forearms where he had held her against him. Her brow knit apologetically and she murmured, "Oh, Hiei, I'm so sorry." She still felt like she was swimming in her own head. Her voice sounded far away.

"Miko-sama," the woman was speaking to her again. Kagome's blue eyes rounded on her again. She tried to focus on her words. "You have suffered injury protecting my people, and you have done me a great service. I am in your debt, and I am… willing to discuss Reikai's plans to control the awakening miko problem in Ningenkai." Her voice was gravelly and her expression stern. The human woman was having difficulty picking out her tone. Hiei's bland expression wasn't helping her out.

"Um, ok," she managed to whisper. Her vision was darkening around the edges. Her ears were ringing. She swayed.

Suddenly Hiei was beside her, saying sternly to her, "Close your seals. Miko, you are losing consciousness, close your seals now!"

She nodded, or at least thought she did. Through her fading vision she managed to find the three tattooed seals on her left wrist with the fingers of her right hand and whispered, "Close." She lost balance and fell forward, managing to catch herself on her hands. Hiei had knelt beside her. He was looking at her shoulders. They ached like a deep sunburn. He was saying something to someone behind her, but she couldn't make it out. Her head was swimming.

"Hiei? I don't feel so good," she whispered. She couldn't tell if he'd heard her.

She felt hands on her waist just before her mind clicked off and her body slumped.

* * *

AN: Short but content-heavy chapter. Inspiration for Hidzume came from Sevdaliza's "Human" music video. As always, I love to hear what you think!


	9. Chapter 8: Well That's Embarrassing

AN: Sorry for the wait and thank you so much for all the feedback! Hope you enjoy this latest installment!

* * *

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 8: Well That's Embarrassing**

Kagome looked over the feast set before her and her mouth watered. There was noodles, rice, eggs, pork and an entire pheasant, some kind of fish she didn't recognize but large and electric blue and the smell of it made her lips quiver… oh, and was that a seafood stew? And bowls and bowls of vegetables, pickled, fried, and roasted, most of which she recognized but some that she didn't and it was the most beautiful sight she'd ever beheld, she thought as her belly rumbled and her stomach ached with hunger.

She'd been pushed into this room and told to eat.

Well, if they insisted…

Grinning, the miko took up her chopsticks and began piling her plate full of everything that caught her eye. When she came to the pork belly she grabbed the biggest piece on the platter and had it almost in her mouth when she winced as though she'd been scolded and lowered the piece to her plate before continuing to fill it at a more sedate pace. She could recall the years her mother spent instilling good, ladylike manners in her and her cheeks flushed. Even passing out from hunger was not an excuse to forgo good table manners.

Then she sat back on her heels, said breathlessly, "Itadakimasu," to the empty room, and dug in heartily.

And she slurped her soup because that was the polite thing to do.

And she may have moaned slightly when she tried the strange blue fish dipped in sesame sauce. But that was only polite, to show one's appreciation for the meal.

Kagome was certain she had never been this hungry in her life.

She'd awoken maybe twenty minutes ago nude under the sheets in a crisp, white bed in a sterile, white room like any other hospital room she'd ever seen in her life, with an IV in one arm and a sphygmomanometer on her other. Except that the doctor taking her blood pressure was startling, to say the least. She really couldn't guess what kind of demon he was but he looked like a skeleton with some frightening prehistoric predatory bird's head and thin, gray skin pulled over it. And he was smoking a cigarette. She'd clung to the familiarity of the surroundings and the instruments he was using to check her pulse and blood pressure to keep from screaming.

The doctor had told her that she had been out for less than two hours and that she had suffered a dramatic drop in blood sugar and reiki and the combined effect had caused her to lose consciousness. She also had some minor burns on her shoulders and back that he had been able to begin healing with some kind of slimy, translucent skin he laid in patches over the burned flesh. The worst part was that she could literally feel and see it moving on the wounds, rhythmically like it was breathing, and it continued to secrete a clear mucous that dripped down her back and soaked into her borrowed robe. At least the mucous stuff was numbing the area…

 _'Well, this isn't off to a good start. My first real fight and I faint!'_ she lamented to herself. _'And all because I was too excited last night and too rushed this morning to eat anything before running off to fight the big bad and putting out twenty times more reiki than my body's ever done in its life. No, Kagome, that doesn't seem like a terrible idea at all.'_

Doctor Tik-Tik (a name as strange as the demon himself, she had thought) had told her, in his strange accent, that the only way to replenish one's reiki was to eat and sleep and that was exactly what he'd instructed her to do, in that order.

She really didn't feel tired enough to sleep just yet, but by kami she could eat.

Inuyasha's and Shippo's unfathomable appetites suddenly made sense to her.

Before she knew it her plate was empty for a second time. And she was _uncomfortably_ full. And she really just wanted to lay down right here on the floor of this room and take a nap.

That was how she found herself as Mukuro strode in suddenly through the door, tall and alert and just a little intimidating if Kagome was being honest.

She couldn't help jump slightly at the unannounced intrusion. Sure, it was her castle or compound or whatever this place was that she couldn't exactly make sense of based on her limited exposure to the interior and the seemingly conflicting styles of the rooms and hallways. And she could probably barge into whatever the hell room she wanted, but a little manners and common courtesy never hurt anyone.

Mukuro knelt on the other side of the table and regarded the miko with her natural eye and her bionic one, the latter roving over her as its pupil dilated mechanically. Kagome vaguely recalled seeing her before she lost consciousness earlier that morning. She kept half her face covered under rags, the side with the bionic eye, and the little bit of her neck that she could see under the collar of her clothing was horribly scarred. In fact, the only skin she left uncovered was half her face and her hands. Kagome knew immediately what kind of ruler she was dealing with. This was a woman who had fought tooth and nail to get where she was today and would fight just as hard to keep it, too. Her scars told Kagome that she would not back down from a fight and that if she went to war, she would be on the front lines alongside her own soldiers. When she reached out with her sixth sense like Yusuke had taught her to do she could feel carefully cultivated and controlled power that was staggering in its immensity. Her skin erupted in goosebumps when she realized how powerful the woman across the table was.

She swallowed and tried to steel herself. This was her job. And at four hundred and something years old, wasn't it about time she had a job? Practically two entire worlds depended on her success. No big deal. No pressure. Just another calculus exam she hadn't had time to study for because she was running for her life from bloodthirsty youkai. _'Except this time I'm fighting, not running and hiding. Er- I guess in this case I'm negotiating for my life.'_

After a few tense moments, Mukuro asked, "How are your wounds healing?"

Kagome was startled at the unexpected question and she couldn't stop the reflexive smile at the other woman's concern. "They're numb, but I think they're healing pretty quickly from whatever this thing is that Dr. Tik-Tik put on them," she answered with a wave behind her. "Thank you for seeing to that, by the way, and lunch," she said, gesturing to the food still steaming between them.

At the mention of that, almost as it they had been waiting for that very queue, four demons in stained white aprons as though they had just come from the kitchen came in through the sliding door to the hallway, gathered up all the dishes on trays and left again without a word, the last one with six arms closing the door behind them with a soft click, leaving nothing but the lingering smell to suggest it was ever there. Mukuro continued to regard her in silence and Kagome fought the urge to fidget nervously. Finally, she said in the gravelly voice Kagome recalled from their first embarrassingly brief encounter, "You saved my most populated city from sure destruction seemingly at risk to yourself; I was obligated to see to your health."

Her answer was blunt and lacked the appreciative tone she recalled when she'd told her that she was in her debt. Kagome blinked, the gears almost visibly turning as she tried to reconcile the previous Mukuro with this one. "Obligated?" she asked.

Mukuro nodded. "Some civilians witnessed your heroics. Shisou is singing your praises," she said, as though that should be enough explanation.

Oh! So she had just been putting on a show before with all the "Miko-sama" and "great service" stuff. Kagome narrowed her eyes at her. So she wasn't going to be as cooperative as she had been led to believe.

"I see," the miko said, folding her hands in her lap and leveling what she hoped was a confident but nonthreatening look at the demoness across the table, feeling suddenly threatened herself. Even after facing that monstrosity earlier this morning she wasn't yet accustomed to facing a powerful potentially hostile youkai by herself. She reexamined the demoness's words. She seemed to be very forthright, so that was the strategy that Kagome would use too. Miroku had once told her that when negotiating he preferred a reciprocal approach, leaning towards deception. That is, he approached each negotiation with the same strategy as the other seemed to employ while flavoring it with his own specialty, things like misdirection, manipulation, and obfuscation. She had found the reciprocal approach to be very effective in most cases, and she "flavored" it with her own strict moral code. "I noticed you said 'seemingly' at risk to myself. What did you mean by that?"

The demoness was silent for a few moments, still fixing Kagome with that unnerving, calculating stare. Finally, she drew a breath and again shocked the human woman with her candor, "Regardless of the circumstances, I must acknowledge that you did save several thousand of my people and certainly saved my territory from the financial hardship that would have been rebuilding Shisou… So, in recognition of that, I have decided to be honest with you. I have not lived this long by turning my back on fortuitous alliances." Another breath. "I don't trust you. You are a miko. More than that, you are employed by Reikai and I think that Koenma and his father would like nothing more than to get their hands back on the reins here in Makai. I don't know what that creature was or where it came from. My trackers can find no trace of it beyond a point in my domain at which it seemingly appeared out of thin air. The only ones I know of with transdimensional technology is Reikai. And then it just happens to be heading toward the very city where you are staying, and you happen to be the one to destroy it and save everyone, you who are in Reikai's employ. You are human, but you are not stupid and you can't think I would be so stupid as to not connect these points."

Kagome didn't know what to say. It had never occurred to her that Mukuro might believe she was connected to the monster somehow. That she had been in on some plan to win her confidence by creating a threat to her territory and then neutralizing it. Then her temper caught up. Her cheeks flushed. Her fists balled. "You think I had something to do with that- _thing!?_ I'm sitting here with my back all burnt up and crawling with some kind of slimy pond scum youkai and you think I planned the whole thing!?"

Mukuro seemed unconcerned with her outburst and continued calmly, "Of course, it is a little on the nose, isn't it? If Koenma were going to make a move this big he's smart enough to make it a little less obvious than this," she mused.

Kagome was still gaping, appalled. She finally snapped her mouth shut when she heard the doubt in the woman's voice. Maybe she was still willing to listen. "Mukuro-sama, I understand how that might look to you, and I understand your reasons to distrust me. All I can tell you is that I was just as shocked as you were to see that thing outside of Shisou. I know that in your position you can't afford to put your faith in someone you just met. So, I'm here to talk. I want to know your thoughts on Koenma's proposition."

Mukuro was silent for a few tense moments. She leaned back on her heels, seeming to settle her weight there. "You want me to tell you my objections to teaching budding new mikos how to slay youkai?" she asked with no small measure of sarcasm.

The young miko knit her brow. But she had expected this. "That's not what I'll be teaching them. I don't know what Hiei has told you about me, but I'm over four hundred years old. I lived in the time before the barrier. Defending my life against youkai and even other humans was an every day occurrence for me. These women in the ningenkai who are experiencing an awakening of their own powers are scared. I can tell you from experience that is a terrifying time. And these women grew up believing magic didn't exist, that mikos and youkai were just myths and fairy tales. They need guidance and if they are to exist peacefully alongside youkai and even other humans and be able to live a normal life again they're going to need to learn to control their holy reiki."

"And how should I know what you're actually teaching them in this school of yours?" Mukuro asked. Kagome hoped it was her imagination that her bionic eye seemed to be focused on her chest, about where her heart was.

"You're invited to observe anytime as you please," Kagome said.

The demoness actually looked surprised. "Is that so?"

"Absolutely," the miko assured her. "This isn't going to be some secret operation in a secluded area. This is going to be a school open to the public, on Genkai's grounds, which as you know is a sanctuary for humans and youkai alike."

Mukuro regarded her with intensity again. "And the toushin has agreed to this?"

"Of course," the miko assured her.

Another pause. "I understand he trained you himself."

"He did, unfortunately," Kagome confessed.

"It was unfortunate?" the demoness asked.

"To be honest, Mukuro-sama, I'm really not much of a fighter. I fight because I have to, but I'd always rather not if it can be helped. And Yusuke didn't spare the rod, if you know what I mean." She frowned remembering what were the hardest months of her life, both physically and mentally.

"How is it that you have survived seemingly untouched by time for well beyond the normal human lifespan?" Mukuro suddenly asked, changing gears.

Kagome couldn't help but frown. Koenma had been adamant that no one must know that she still carried the Shikon-no-Tama in her body. And she understood his reasoning, but it was also kind of the reason she had trained so hard for the last four months so that she could protect herself and the jewel and do her job here in the Makai. And she didn't want to lie to Mukuro, or any of the people she was trying to make allies of. That just wasn't the way to start a friendship. So, she would deal with the backlash from Koenma later.

"I was born with a powerful artifact inside me. Long story short, it chose me to be a kind of immortal guardian for it and just permanently attached itself to me. And here I am," she said. It was true, if not the entire truth.

The demoness took that in with surprising calm. It was a wonder to Kagome that she didn't immediately question the implausible explanation. Maybe Hiei had already given her some background information… "I still have no reason to trust you, other than the fact that Urameshi seems to trust you and I don't take him for a foolish man. But that is not enough. Furthermore, I was never an advocate for keeping the barrier open, and I don't care one way or another if they should decide to close it again because of these incidents with untrained mikos." Mukuro spoke with an air of finality.

The miko suddenly remembered the doctor, and the guards she'd seen in the corridor, the soldiers she'd passed in the breezeway, even a few of the servants had been smoking cigarettes. She'd noticed the doctor's brand on his carton in the infirmary. They were the same brand her dad had smoked, a popular one in Ningenkai. This was important somehow. Why was her subconscious choosing that moment to remember those cigarettes… Oh! Right! "With all due respect, I don't think that's true. I think your territory has been benefitting from open trade with the human world. I noticed a lot of your people smoking cigarettes. And a lot of the vendors in Shisou sell human merchandise. I think your people are enjoying an influx in the local economy and you are at least passively interested in keeping the barrier open."

Mukuro was quiet for a moment, and then smirked. Then she chuckled, and Kagome was proud of herself for not letting her jaw drop at the sound. "You are more clever than most humans I've met. But then again, I haven't met many and the ones I have met have been chewy at best," she said this so casually that the miko was sure she was had said it purely to startle her. She didn't succeed. She'd met Sesshoumaru's mother once, after all, and if she hadn't been able to cow her right out of her skin no one could.

Just then a youkai poked his head into the room and Mukuro rose to speak in low tones to him. Then she turned back to Kagome. "Miko-sama, I am needed elsewhere. I remain undecided. I need time to consider the proposition, and I will contact you personally when I have come to a decision. The doctor will be in to collect you shortly; I hope that you will stay until you are well enough to leave. I'm sure you have other places to be," she told her, emphasizing the 'other places' in a way that told Kagome she shouldn't dawdle here.

"Thank you for speaking with me, Mukuro-sama," she told her honestly.

And then the demoness was gone and Kagome was alone again. She let out a breath and let her hands relax, noticing them shake a little as the adrenaline left her. Ok, so that could have gone a lot worse. Not bad for her first go.

Doctor Tik-Tik was indeed there within minutes to take her back to the infirmary. He sat her down on the edge of a bed and told her to open her robe so he could see her back. She looked around at the other occupants of the small ward, most unconscious and none really looking at her, to be fair, but… Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she loosened the robe and let it fall over her shoulders to pool at her waist. She covered her breasts with her hands and shivered from the sudden rush of cool air on her still damp back.

"Oh yes, this look very good. I can remove firoho slug now and your burns should heal quickly, two, three days. Not even a scar," he said in that odd accent. She could feel the doctor peeling the things off her back and the wet, slurping sounds from them was enough to turn her stomach. She tried to focus on something else.

"Did anything show up on the images you took, doctor?" she asked, remembering how she'd asked him to investigate the strange sharp pains she'd gotten in her neck recently.

"Unfortunately, no, there was not a thing unusual on the scan. Probably is a pinched nerve, like you say," he told her.

"Oh, well thank you for looking into it." She thought that over for a moment. He was probably right. It wasn't like it was really debilitating or anything, just a twinge. And if the doctor said there was nothing there, then… She decided not to worry about it.

Just then Hiei walked through the door and made a beeline for her and the doctor. Kagome felt the blush creeping over her chest and neck as he noticed her lack of clothing and raised an eyebrow. She glared at him and he gave her a look of innocence.

"Ah, Hiei-sama, you are here to collect miss Kagome, yes?" the doctor asked, peeling off the last of the slug things and dropping it into a bucket of water with the others. Kagome sagged in relief when the last of them were off her back.

The hiyoukai nodded stiffly, his hands in his pockets.

"And how are your burns? Still healing nicely, hm?" the doctor asked him. He was wiping away the excess mucus that had dripped down her back with a damp sponge. He left it on the burn wounds, now only pink splotches of rapidly regenerating skin, to keep them numb. They would be uncomfortable for a few days, itchy for a couple more. Then he instructed her to get dressed.

Kagome pulled the robe back up over her shoulders, not caring that it was getting her back wet all over again, and hopped down off the bed, happy to be done with it. She found her backpack, her bow propped against it, and pulled a curtain between her and the rest of the room to get dressed while the doctor and Hiei talked. She heard the hybrid tell him that his burns were already gone and hadn't been worth coming to the infirmary for in the first place. She rolled her eyes. Was it all men, she wondered, or just male youkai who objected so strongly to any kind of medical aid.

Someone, probably Hiei, had gone back to their hotel suite and gotten her clothes. She made a mental note to thank him for that later and tried not to picture the hunky, attractive youkai carrying her underwear around. Then the miko spent a moment lamenting the loss of her green sundress as she pulled on fresh underclothes, skinny jeans, and an old t-shirt from her high school volleyball team. She pulled on her sneakers and repacked her backpack, making sure her clothes were accounted for. He had even gotten the few things she'd bought in Shisou and put them in her bag. She smiled in appreciation.

When she was done, she slung her backpack and bow over her shoulder and stepped out from behind the curtain. Doctor Tik-Tik was across the room attending to another patient and Hiei was still standing with his hands in his pockets looking distinctly uncomfortable. She smiled in greeting. "Ready to go?" she asked her surly companion.

Hiei only nodded briskly and led her out of the room. She quickened her pace to catch up to him. "I never got to thank you for everything, Hiei. We make a pretty good team, you know," she said in her good-natured manner.

"Hn," the young youkai answered, neither in agreement nor objection, it would seem.

They were making their way quickly out of the compound. The courtyard was bustling with activity. Demons of all shapes and sizes, all in the distinctive gray and yellow uniforms she'd seen on all the guards and soldiers in the building, were loading beast-drawn carts with sacks of rice and vegetables and various other supplies. Kagome guessed they were probably relief efforts for the two farming communities Hiei had said the creature decimated last night on its way to Shisou. She spotted Mukuro speaking with several of her people, all of them looking over a map between them. She eyed the group curiously as they passed through the main gates and out of the compound.

Hiei seemed to be on a determined path away from what she understood was usually his home of sorts. Despite their height similarity, she was having to almost jog to keep up with him. "Hey! What's the hurry?" she asked him in mild annoyance.

"We are late," he said simply, not bothering to look back at her as he continued down the wide dirt road. Carts and lines of soldiers passed them and she struggled to hear him over the noise of the carts and the strange beasts that pulled them.

"I'm sure Yomi will understand why when he hears about this thing that tried to attack Shisou," she said reassuringly. Then, a little more cautious and with a sly expression, "Say, Hiei, Mukuro said something and I just can't get it off my mind. She said that she had trackers trace the path the youkai took to see where it came from and that it looked like it appeared out of nowhere right in the middle of her territory… You don't think… I mean, Koenma wouldn't set something like that up and not tell me about it, would he?" she asked doubtfully, hoping this wasn't the case.

The hybrid glanced around suspiciously at the other youkai that shared the road and was silent for a few moments while he thought this over. His voice in her head didn't even startle her this time. _'In my experience, Koenma will do just about anything to get the results he wants, and he always believes he's doing the "right" thing.'_ She didn't miss the disgust in his tone when he said that. _'Mukuro spoke to me about that possibility. I am suspicious, but I don't believe he would be so obvious if he was going to do something underhanded like this. If nothing else, he's discrete.'_

Kagome nodded. That's more or less what she had thought. It was way too blatant to be anything but a set-up. But then, who had been behind the creature attacking Shisou? Something like that didn't just come into being by chance, and certainly didn't appear out of thin air near the most populated city in Mukuro's territory by chance either.

 _'Well, considering how suspicious she was of me, I think my first meeting with Mukuro went pretty well. She at least didn't shut me out immediately, which is what I expected when we started talking,'_ the miko reported to him.

 _'… I think you made a good first impression. She will stand back and observe the situation for a long time before she makes a decision. I wouldn't expect a final answer from her until others have either thrown in their lots or decided to stand against the proposition,'_ he answered her honestly.

Then, aloud he said, "Call Koenma and report so he will know to send the ferrywoman for us."

"Oh!" Kagome said, reaching behind her to fish out her communicator from a pocket on her backpack. She flipped it open and had the spirit world ruler on the little round screen in a moment. She relayed to him the conversation she'd had with Mukuro, trying to be as succinct as possible. He was pretty upset about her heroics that morning and insisted that she should have let Mukuro's people take care of the problem. She had just told him that he hadn't seen that creature personally and she was likely the only person who could have taken it out without massive damage to the city. That remark caught Hiei's ear and he thought it over quietly while the miko concluded her report to Koenma.

It was just too convenient, wasn't it? That the creature was seemingly let loose on Shisou exactly when Kagome happened to be there. There was something big going on here behind the curtain. And there was something stirring in the darkness, out in the wild lands. The appearance of the giant youkai and the recent events in the borderlands couldn't be anything less than directly related.

Ahead of them beside the road Botan stepped out of a glowing portal and waved to them. Hiei couldn't help but be a little relieved to be able to pass off the miko to Kurama. He had some investigating to do.


	10. Chapter 9: The Hakra Path Less Traveled

AN: Well, here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. I know it's taken us a while to get here, so I hope you enjoy it. Things are about to get real Kur/Kag up in here. As always, thanks for the reviews, and I hope to read more!

* * *

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 9: The Hakra Path Less Traveled**

Kagome had made the conscious decision that her time with Kurama would not be awkward. So after she had chatted with Botan about the morning's events and the ferrywoman had left her on the other side of a portal on the same road deep into Yomi's territory with the fox-turned-human, she had exchanged pleasantries and made small talk until she felt like her jaw might fall off.

And he had been very receptive and polite and had returned the pleasantries and indulged her discussion of the peachy sky and the remarks about the difference in geography in Yomi's and Mukuro's territories, and her questions about what kind of economy the area had and its resources. He'd even tried to carry her backpack for her, of course, like a gentleman, but she had refused. She could count on one hand the number of time Inuyasha had offered to carry her pack and she had just become accustomed to doing it herself. It was only a matter of pride, perhaps, and a foolish notion but she liked to carry her own bag.

After the pleasantries they had fallen silent, the morning wore on and their feet ate up the busy road that would take them to Yomi's compound. The exotic passerby on the road had long since lost their novelty and Kagome had a distinct sense of dejavu as the youkai traffic on the road started to seem commonplace and she thought of her days walking her bike at the rear of the caravan, Shippo in her basket eating some candy or maybe just napping, Sango and Miroku ahead of her bickering quietly with one another, and Inuyasha further ahead, smelling the wind and scouting for danger. Her heart ached with longing. It was so long ago, but she still missed them all so much.

Kurama, on the other hand, was struggling somewhat with his role in all this. He was loyal to his alliance with Yomi and he had no plausible reason to put his loyalty towards his relationship with Kagome, whatever that relationship was exactly, above that which he had with Yomi. But he was still struggling with his instructions to escort her into the compound the long way round and get her talking. Because despite the dubious nature of the rumors about Yomi's hearing, he actually did hear everything that was said in his territory. He had never revealed how he managed this, but Kurama suspected some kind of spell with the entire twenty something thousand square miles of his territory inside its fief.

He just really didn't like the idea of deceiving her. He'd done enough of that for one lifetime, and that was in fact a lifetime ago, and he was determined that this time around wouldn't be like the last. Starting out with a lie left a bad taste in his mouth.

She'd become quiet a few minutes ago and hardly seemed to be aware of her surroundings. She had a kind of sad look on her face. He wondered what she was thinking about and decided he should try to make conversation before it became awkward. "What are you thinking so deeply about?" he asked conversationally.

Kagome seemed to shake herself out of whatever reverie she'd been lost in and turned a startled blue gaze on him as though she'd just remembered he was there. "Oh!" she turned her eyes away, embarrassed. "Nothing important," she assured him. They'd talked a little here and there since their first discussion at Genkai's temple, on that hill under the stars where he had bared himself to her and she had forgiven him. But the uncomfortable subject of her life before her service with Reikai, the four hundred years or so spent in Youko's captivity and the life she'd built with the people he'd stolen her away from, seemed like a subject that should remain off-limits in their interactions, at least for now. Wanting to change the subject lest he want to pursue this one, she cast about for some conversation starter. "So, Kurama, how did you come to be in Yomi's service?" she asked. That seemed like a safe topic of discussion, and if it led to some useful information about Yomi then all the better.

For his part, Kurama was unprepared for her sudden question and spent a moment thinking about how he would answer it. "Yomi knew me as Youko, before I died. He was one of Youko's subordinates. After I made myself known to other youkai again he reached out to me for support when Raizen died and Mukuro and Yomi were preparing to go to war with one another. Luckily Yusuke's tournament put all that to a stop."

"How old were you when you did that? I mean, you know, stepped back into the demon world?" Kagome asked, interested now despite herself.

"Well, I had been hunting since I was ten or eleven, I believe. But I revealed myself officially as Youko Kurama's avatar when I was fifteen." Kurama confessed, effortlessly splitting his attention between their surroundings and the conversation with this delightful young woman with which he had been eagerly awaiting a chance to talk. He didn't want to miss the trailhead, though…

Kagome smiled without really meaning to. When she realized it, she decided to let Kurama in on it. "I was fifteen when I met a youkai for the first time. And found out about the whole jewel business."

"I know," Kurama answered before he could stop himself. He remembered her letter he'd read months ago in the cave that had been her home and her prison for so long. At her questioning look, he explained, "Koenma has all that information on file."

"Oh," Kagome blinked. Then, slyly, "You've been reading my file, Mister Kurama?" And she had to be starved for social interaction to be flirting with a fox, right? Four months of no one but Yusuke, Koenma, and Hiei for company would do that to a girl, she guessed.

Despite his iron control, Kurama felt his neck get hot under his hair and absently hoped the blush didn't become visible. Well, he'd walked into that one, hadn't he? "I never go into an assignment unprepared, Miss Kagome."

The miko looked away from him to hide her grin. "Of course not." She cleared her throat and swallowed a rebellious giggle and whipped around again when she felt a light touch to the back of her bare arm. Kurama was trying to show her something in the woods. Oh! A path leading through the trees. He led her to it and there was a little wooden sign, so grown over with brush and vines she would have missed it if he hadn't pointed it out, only one of the two kanji recognizable to her. "A path? What's that first kanji?"

"Hakra, that's what the beasts pulling the carts are called," he said, referring to the strangely colored, distinctly menacing scaly equine creatures on the road behind them.

"So this is like a feeding path for them?"

"Yes, but if you continue past the meadow the trail will lead to the compound. It is an emergency exit of sorts for Yomi's base. I wanted to suggest it as an alternative. It would only add half an hour to our walk at the most and the views are… lovely," he explained, giving her a charming smile to accompany his last word.

She eyed the trailhead in interest. "You don't think Yomi will mind the delay?"

He shook his head to assure her. "Half an hour will not make a difference to him. He has been exceedingly busy recently with some goings-on in his domain, it was going to be difficult to pull him away from whatever fire he's putting out at the moment in any case."

Kagome bit her lip. "Well, I would enjoy getting off the road and getting to see a little more of Makai's natural beauty."

And so they took the Hakra Path.

The miko had only been out of Mukuro's territory for an hour but she already liked Yomi's much better. Where Mukuro's was mostly flat lands with scattered brush or rolling farmlands, Yomi's was mountainous and covered in lush deciduous forest that could have been any forest she'd hiked through in the Sengoku Jidai except for the subtle cyan shade to the greenery and the backdrop of the sky in shades of orange and red. As they left the noise of the main road behind them the sounds of the forest came through and Kagome listened rapturously. The rustling of the branches in the warm summer breeze, the hollow, rapid knocking of a woodpecker. Cicadas! Just like in Ningenkai. And did she hear macaques somewhere out there? Instantly she became excited at the prospect of some natural springs; wherever there were macaques there were usually hot springs…

Now that they were away from the ears of the civilians traveling the main road, Kurama decided to try to broach the subject that had been on his mind for most of the morning, ever since Botan had called to tell him she might be delayed bringing Kagome to him because she'd been injured slaying some ten story monster baring down on the city of Shisou. And the fact that Yomi had told him to ask her about it only marginally influenced him; he'd been relieved when he saw her step through the ferrywoman's portal seemingly unscathed, but the fact remained that she had been injured somehow… So, "I heard you had a busy morning.

Kagome turned lost eyes on him, readjusting her backpack and bow absently as they'd shifted as she stepped over roots and mud puddles. "Hm? Oh, yea, you could call it busy," she said with no small amount of sarcasm. "I know Yusuke thinks I'm ready to stand on my own out here, but I didn't think I'd be taking down big bad demons after three days on the job!" she said, gesturing widely.

He stepped ahead of her to lift a branch that hung low over the path out of her way and as she passed under his arm he said, "Botan told me you had no trouble dealing with it."

Ever humble, Kagome's face flushed and she waved her palms. "No trouble?! Botan is exaggerating. That thing had to be at least twenty five meters tall. And when you attacked it it just split up into these awful flying gargoyle things with huge teeth! I had a desperate idea, got lucky and it worked," she told him modestly.

"From what I've been told, the people of Shisou were very lucky you were there when you were."

He expected her to wave it away, but she suddenly looked very thoughtful. "Yea, Kurama, actually I wanted to ask you about that…Mukuro brought it to my attention and I just can't help but be a little suspicious myself about the circumstances around all that this morning. It just seems like too big of a coincidence that this giant thing no one has ever seen before pops up out of nowhere right there where I am. And well, you've known Koenma a lot longer than me… Do you think…?" she asked hesitantly.

Ah, Yomi would be satisfied, at least, that he'd gotten her to talk openly about the very suspicions he also harbored. Kurama tried not to scowl at the thought. If he wasn't so sure she didn't have anything to unknowingly incriminate herself for he might not have (however reluctantly) agreed to his role in Yomi's plan to feel her out before she even stepped foot on his compound. "I had considered that myself, but I don't believe Koenma would be so careless. It looks to me like a frame."

Kagome nodded and chewed her lip thoughtfully, looking out into the forest with an unfocused blue-gray gaze. "But then that's the problem, isn't it? If it isn't Reikai, then who is behind it? And why?" she asked no one in particular.

Kurama couldn't speculate, as he had no more information on the matter than she. Well, that wasn't true exactly. Koenma had told them not to "burden" her with whatever was going on out in the borderlands so as not to break her focus or worry her unnecessarily. But that information wouldn't shed any light on the question of the Shisou creature in any case.

Moments passed in silence, the unanswered question hanging between them, pulling on both of their thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye Kagome thought she saw something small and dark move quickly between the trees, but she found nothing when she turned her eyes that way. She was just jumpy, she decided. There were bound to be things living in these woods, after all.

Kagome, tired of the tense silence, decided to pick up the conversation again before things got too awkward. "So hakra isn't a Japanese word. Where did it come from?" The question came out of nowhere, sure, but she had been genuinely curious about it since they'd seen the sign back at the trailhead. As old as she was it wasn't often that she came across a kanji character she didn't know.

The fox was intently scanning the trees around them as they moved deeper into the forest. He was usually vigilant when moving off the main roads, but he had recently sat in on the many reports from Yomi's patrolmen that indicated a trend of sweeping lawlessness as the local economy strained under the influx of refugees who poured in from the borderlands day after day. So he was especially on his guard. He wasn't well-liked in Makai at the best of times and it never hurt to be extra vigilant in times of unrest, even this close to Yomi's base.

But in addition to bodyguard, escort, chaperone, spirit detective, spy, and whatever else he was, he was also a gentleman and a kitsune so he would do his job and entertain his lovely charge at the same time. "It is Indian, I believe, or maybe Mediterranean. The animals were imported sometime in the past as part of some big trade deal. I can't recall the details."

"Interesting," Kagome said, genuinely fascinated. She'd never really thought of the Makai having its own unique history of trade and conquest. She'd been thinking of it as a kind of macabre mirror of Ningenkai, but the demon world was entirely independent it would seem. "I'd love to learn more about this place. The gadgets Reikai gave me have helped me learn a lot about unfamiliar things around me, but there's no substitute for a book, you know?"

Kurama smiled. He could agree with that. "Yomi keeps a fairly extensive library. He probably wouldn't mind to let you look around."

Her eyes lit up and she practically bounced on her toes in excitement. "Oh! I would love that! But," something occurred to her and she blushed, not sure how to ask it appropriately. "Isn't Yomi blind?"

The fox laughed then at the way she leaned in and whispered the question. "Yes, he keeps the library for his young son."

"Yomi has a son?" Kagome asked, a little surprised. "I don't know why, I just didn't imagine him with a kid. Maybe because I met Yusuke and Mukuro first and I can't imagine either one of _them_ with a kid," she confessed.

Kurama chuckled again at that. "If Keiko has her way Yusuke may well soon be joining Yomi in the ranks of fatherhood."

"A little Yusuke running around, punching things and looking up skirts. Kami, that's a scary thought." Kagome looked as though she'd seen a specter of some terrifying future.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll be more like Keiko," Kurama offered.

"Nah, I saw a picture of Raizen and if those genes made it through half a dozen generations or whatever to get to Yusuke, they'll make it one more to get to his kid. I'm calling it, right now," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'm afraid you're probably right," he lamented. He noted the distant sound of rushing water and knew they would come upon the meadow soon. "The meadow for grazing is just over this ridge," he told her.

And in a moment they came up out of the treeline and suddenly their vision was filled with a vermilion sky and a sloping field of hip-high, shifting grass that looked like long blades of jade. From their position at the top of the hill looking down over the knoll they could see peeking up out of the grass tall orange lilies that dotted the field like red stars in a teal sky. "Oh!" Kagome uttered in surprise, not expecting a little thing like a meadow to be so startlingly beautiful. It seemed like the simplest things became remarkable in the Makai. Kurama let her admire the view for a moment before he showed her how the path angled sharply west to climb up a small, rocky ridge and wrap around the far side of the field and apparently continued along the treeline to a little creek. And oh yes, she could hear the water now that he mentioned it.

"It's another seven kilometers to the compound. Would you like to stop and rest, refill your canteen?" the Kitsune asked her as he climbed up onto the ridge and then bent to offer his hand for her. She nodded yes and eyed the ridge doubtfully. Planting her left foot in a an indentation in the rock for leverage, she sprung with her right leg and let him hoist her up by the arm to stand beside him. She grinned in thanks and they continued on the path around the open field.

It only took a few minutes to reach the little creek he'd promised. It was just perhaps three meters across and no deeper here than her ankles but it was clear and cool and she was happy to see it. "I hate to slow us down, Kurama, but I think this morning is starting to catch up with me. I need to rest for a few minutes."

He understood, of course, and yes, take your time. You should have said if you were tired. And stay alert, he was just going to go ahead up the path here northeast and check that the old footbridge was still intact.

When he left through the trees again Kagome had removed her backpack and bow and was sitting on the dry rocky bank of the creek with her jeans rolled up and bare feet dipped into the water, a look of bliss on her face that made Kurama just a tad jealous. But he hadn't lied when he said he needed to scout ahead. He hoped he was just being paranoid, but he could swear he had seen something out of the corner of his eye a couple of times as they walked, and maybe he had smelled something strange too. He needed to scout ahead to make sure Kagome wasn't in danger.

So he followed the path for a few minutes until yes, he did see something there! Off to the west, maybe sixty meters? And did the forest get a little quieter all of a sudden? Kurama crouched and watched the spot where he'd seen _something_ dart between the trees moments ago. And watched. Nothing happened. He growled softly in frustration and moved in closer toward the spot, alternately crouching and stepping quickly between trees, keeping his eyes trained for any movement. He was almost on top of it… No! Over there! How did it get to be forty meters that way suddenly?

Changing direction, he continued to stalk.

—

 _"Yomi can hear every word spoken within his territory; remember this."_

Hidzume hugged her oar, long platinum hair flowing in the wind behind her, and urged it to carry her faster down river, flying mere feet above the surface of the frothing, rushing water, trying to stay hidden between the steep walls of the gorge like Waikyoku had told her to. She'd never done anything like this before. Luring hordes of lesser youkai to her brother's maw was one thing. That she could handle. This, this was another thing entirely.

She'd almost been spotted twice by patrolmen. Despite intel suggesting this back route was hardly used, it still seemed to be under regular patrol.

This didn't feel like their usual plans. This felt… hasty. All cobbled together and made on the fly or something. And considering Waikyoku had just told her this plan two hours ago maybe that was accurate.

After the miko passed out she'd been taken through a portal to Mukuro's compound to receive medical care. They had followed her there of course and hid in a seldom-used storage shed on the outskirts of the compound so Waikyoku could "listen in." And that was the point, Hidzume thought, when she got the feeling something had gone wrong. Because Waikyoku suddenly cursed to himself and slammed a black-gloved fist into the dusty wooden boards he crouched on, and he never did things like that. He was always very tight, very in control. Then, ignoring her inquiry concerning his outburst, he'd spent the next half hour sitting perfectly still in that crouched position, which looked very uncomfortable to her, saying nothing and not moving a muscle in that creepy way that meant he was conversing with Master. So she had just been left to putter around in that boring old dark dusty shed surrounded by hanging knives and vaguely threatening instruments just dangling from the ceiling while her stupid brother squatted motionless in the corner like a dead toad and… And suddenly, Waikyoku had snapped out of it and scared her nearly half to death when he stood suddenly and told her to open a portal into Yomi's territory.

Diving over a waterfall, she plummeted nine meters before expertly straightening out again just before she would have hit the river. She daintily kicked a few droplets off her hoof and tucked her legs in tighter to reduce resistance. If she hadn't been riding this thing since the day she was born she might have been a little nervous. She didn't do water.

Bridge, bridge, c'mon where was the bridge?

"Ah-ha!" she said triumphantly when she finally spotted the footbridge, remembering Waikyoku's warning a moment too late and slapping a hand over her mouth. Oops…

Thinking fast, she rose up out of the gorge and tucked herself under the overhang where the bridge met the wall, waiting quietly to see if patrolmen would descend upon her because Yomi had heard her slip. After a few quiet moments, she determined that she remained undetected and let out a soft sigh of relief. Then sucked it in when she remembered that she was supposed to be absolutely silent. Better just keep her mouth shut altogether.

She felt the touch of her brother against her mind and let him in, trying not to betray her reluctance to him. Then suddenly she couldn't see the canyon around her or the bridge over her head. Instead, she saw the miko sitting by a stream as though she were there watching her from behind that tree herself instead of Waikyoku. It was always weird when he did this. He was going to try to send her right to the bridge where Hidzume waited. Then it was up to her. And she'd better not miss.

Right, right, she got the picture. Geez.

So this was where she waited, under this old bridge fifteen meters over a rushing river, for a deadly miko she was supposed to trap. Right. She could do this.

She crossed her fingers for luck, just in case.

—

Kagome thought she could fall asleep right here, lying in the warm sunlight, her feet in the cool, clear water and the shade of the swaying trees just dancing across her face. She heard birds in the branches over her head and smiled, her eyes closed because she thought she could hear better that way. Then her belly rumbled and she was fully awake again. Not three hours ago she'd eaten more in one meal than she usually did over the course of two days; how was she hungry now? But yes, there her belly was again reminding her she was somehow hungry. Kagome sighed and raised up, looking toward the path her companion had taken a few minutes ago. No sign of him. Wonder how far away that bridge he was checking was?

Another rumble. Well, since she had time and since her gut was obviously serious about this, she may as well eat something. She'd hate to be having serious talks with Yomi and her belly rumble loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. That would be about as embarrassing as, oh say passing out in front of him. And she'd had enough embarrassment for the day, thank you very much. So she snatched up her now full canteen and stood to pick her way over the rocks back to the grassy bank and her bag. She pulled out a hand towel to dry her feet and then slipped her socks and sneakers back on, feeling refreshed.

Luckily she still had most of her rations left. Beef jerky, fruit leather, nuts, granola bars, chocolate… maybe she needed a little bit of everything.

Ten minutes passed and she'd gnawed her way through a chocolate bar, a foot of fruit leather and a whole lot of nuts and she was _uncomfortably_ full again. Oh man, why did she keep doing this? Was her body still replenishing reiki? Dr. Tik Tik had said she'd need to eat more than usual, but this was ridiculous. She forced herself to screw the lid back on her jar of nuts and got ready to leave again. Surely Kurama would be back any moment now. It had been at least twenty minutes since he'd left…

With her arms in the straps again and her bowstring across her chest she sat on the creek bank, leaned back against her backpack, pulling her long braid over her shoulder so it wasn't caught behind her. Her back was still damp and pleasantly numb, and she was just on the cusp of falling asleep when she heard it.

Something moving through the undergrowth. She sat up, alert, looking over her shoulder where the sound had come from. It had sounded kind of close. "Kurama?" she called, keeping her voice low, knowing if he was there he'd be able to hear her.

No answer. But she heard it again, something big moving, and she saw the brush rustle thirty meters or so out. Oh…

Kagome stood slowly, turning to face whatever was creeping towards her. There it was again! Closer, and this time she caught a glimpse of it between the trees. Something large, and long, and dark. Closer again, more rustling and a peek of some giant insect legs through the leaves. The miko looked grim as she opened one seal and drew her bow, producing one long, glowing holy arrow in the notch aimed at the last place she'd seen movement. She reached out with her sixth sense but was shocked not to feel any large source of youki. It felt as though there was nothing more there than trees and vegetation.

But her other senses couldn't be lying. There was movement again, maybe twenty meters out. Fifteen meters now, further to the west. Then thirteen meters. She followed its progress looking down the shaft of her arrow. Ten meters. Then it stopped. No movement for several long seconds. As she visually searched the line of foliage ten meters out, she was beginning to think maybe it had been her imagination; she still couldn't feel anything even if she had just seen it there…

And then.

A face right out of her nightmares. The was nothing there in the brush and then suddenly there she was, just the top of her head, the eery drawn-on eyebrows and the empty eyes, peeking at her over the top of a thick fern as though she had been crouching there for minutes, undisturbed, watching her. And Kagome was looking right at her so she had to know she'd been spotted but still she squatted there, with only her eyes and the top of her head showing…

Every hair stood up on Kagome's body and she couldn't help the sudden weakness in her knees. She'd know that face anywhere, though she never thought she'd see it again in waking reality. She saw it often in her nightmares.

Mistress Centipede.

It seemed like an eternity that they shared that unnerving, terrifying stare. And then Mistress Centipede was rising up out of the brush, never breaking Kagome's gaze, that terrifying maw that split the human face like an axe wound gaping as though she'd unhinged her jaw like a snake and those sharp, long teeth were dripping hungrily as the black tongue flickered between them, tasting the air. And Kagome was frozen, adrenaline pumping through her a mile and minute but her whole body still, afraid to move on some subconscious level lest she attract the attention of the predator staring her down. Somewhere under the mind-numbing fear she recognized that Mistress Centipede had all six of her arms again. But hadn't Inuyasha killed her?

Hadn't he?"

And there was some sound coming from her mouth now. The demoness was _hissing_ at her, and it sounded _primal_ like on of those nile crocodile on one of those documentaries she watched as a kid. Kagome opened her mouth and tried to make a sound, but nothing would come out. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs to scream. Her knees did shake then.

Mistress Centipede had climbed sections of her long body up several trunks of trees behind her to give herself some purchase for her charge and Kagome's only warning before the giant youkai lunged forward was the woody creak of the trees under the strain of her massive weight pushing off against them.

It was all she could do to let loose the arrow she'd drawn several long moments ago and it was pure luck that she still had the arrow trained on the place in the brush where Mistress Centipede's face had appeared. So the arrow was heading for some nondescript part of her twenty meter long insect body and it probably wouldn't kill her but it would at least-

But the glowing scythe of an arrow cut through the air to pass harmlessly through the centipede body, and not in the way it had earlier that morning with the Shisou creature. Mistress Centipede didn't even seem to acknowledge it. It simply didn't touch her.

And suddenly, Kagome realized she was in trouble. She ran.

—

There was something he was supposed to be doing.

Finding out who was following them! Yes, that was it. Because he needed to make sure Kagome was safe.

He'd seen something, not clearly, only a shadow, but it moved too quickly to be just an animal.

They were being followed.

So he was scouting ahead. To make sure Kagome was safe.

There! East, forty meters.

He crept through the forest, keeping close to the brush or the trunks of trees for cover.

But no, this wasn't right. How long had he been at this?

Ten minutes? Twenty? He couldn't remember.

Kurama stopped and looked up at the sky through the canopy, trying to get his barings. He wasn't even sure how far he'd moved away from the creek.

The creek where he'd left Kagome. He needed to make sure she was safe.

They were being followed.

He looked back down again, searching the forest for whatever he'd been tracking.

Whoever.

This wasn't right. He'd been out here too long, right?

Shouldn't have taken the long way. Should have stuck to the road.

Who knows how long it's been since anyone used that bridge?

The bridge! Was it still there?

He should make sure, it had been what, five years since Yomi had last used it. And with all the refugees moving through here and the bandits that had moved in after them there was no way of telling.

The bridge. He'd meant to check the bridge.

What was he doing out here?

Kurama seemed to step out of a fog and spent a moment blinking away the confusion, trying to recall how he'd gotten so far off the path. He looked up. The ambient light hadn't changed noticeably so he couldn't have been gone very long. He'd wanted to make sure the old bridge was still intact while he gave Kagome a chance to rest.

He started back the way he came, northeast. If he went this way he'd eventually come out at the gorge.

After a few minutes of backtracking he could hear the roar of the river echoing up through the rocky canyon and could see ahead where the tree line stopped. Ah, there it was.

He almost didn't hear it over the rushing water below but just before he cleared the trees he heard a disturbance coming from the direction Kagome should be, like someone running through the undergrowth… And a moment after he heard it he saw the miko herself, sprinting faster than he'd ever seen any ordinary human sprint, blue-green leaves and branches in her path dissolving into ash as she passed so that it looked like she was laying out a glittering black carpet under her feet. And the look on her face, pure terror. What was she running from?

"Kagome!" he called to her, but she didn't even seem to notice him. And then she was sprinting past him, out of the tree line and towards the edge of the gorge like she didn't even see it. She was looking right at it. She wasn't slowing down.

Maybe Kurama's body realized what was about to happen before his mind did because when he decided she wasn't going to be able to stop in time and that she was going to sprint right over the side of the cliff and plummet fifteen meters into white water, he was already sprinting after her. It happened so fast.

He watched her feet leave the rock and hit empty air, watched the panic dawn on her face as she felt nothingness meet her step instead of the solid rock she'd been expecting, and plunged right after her.

And for a split second he thought he was looking down onto a beach, of all things, and the ground was a lot closer than it should have been, and Kagome was already down there, lying in the sand like she'd just fallen there, and then he was engulfed in light and warm, salty air before he abruptly hit the ground.


	11. Chapter 10: Bad, Meet Worse

**Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 10:** **Bad, Meet Worse**

* * *

Yomi knew immediately when something had gone wrong.

He was a patient man; one had to be to have attained the position he had and to have kept it as long as he had. And despite being pulled in ten different directions for the past several months dealing with thousands of refugees, a sharp rise in crime, and strange reports from the borderlands, he was giving this particular issue his utmost care and attention.

Yomi was not one to leave anything to chance. In addition to hearing every word spoken within the boundaries of Gandara, he had eyes and ears in nearly every major city in every territory. So he heard a lot. And what he'd heard from one of his ears in Shisou was that the miko had purified an enormous youkai that had single-handedly destroyed two villages in Mukuro's territory. But he equipped each of his ears with certain tools for inteligence gathering and one of those tools could be used to measure reiki output. The report had recorded the beast's output at less than a quarter of his own and the miko's less than a third. Nothing to be concerned with. Still powerful in her own right, certainly, and more powerful than any miko he'd ever met, but she wasn't a threat to him. That was the first thing he'd wanted to determine about her, anyway, so the beast and whoever was behind it had unknowingly served his purposes.

However, he did not have ears in Reikai (it was a bit harder to insert a living agent amongst dead targets, after all) so he had to use other means to gather information about this potential enemy or ally. Kurama, as it happened, had a close connection to the miko and had been seemingly cooperative in revealing to him what he knew of her. Of course, the fox was quite good at passing off half-truths without giving himself away as having been dishonest to Yomi's superlative auditory sense, so he was at least a little skeptical. It had been somewhat of a test of loyalty for Kurama then when Yomi instructed him to take his time bringing the miko to the compound and to get her talking on useful subjects, things like the Shisou monster and her position with Reikai.

About half an hour before he expected Kurama to meet the ferrywoman with the miko he had retreated into the library, the quietest part of the compound. While he waited for confirmation from his right hand he thought over the incident with the Shisou beast and all that it implied. Another ear in Mukuro's compound had told him that her trackers had traced the youkai's path of destruction to a point where it just seemed to have appeared in Mukuro's territory. That practically screamed Reikai involvement. As far as he knew no one else had transdimensional technology. And with the persistent strangeness in the borderlands, there was little chance that these events were unconnected.

Best case scenario there was some kind of upheaval in whatever savage chain of authority the lower youkai abided out in the wild lands and what they were seeing was the backlash: restlessness and fear that culminated in clumsy, disorganized strikes into the borderlands. With any luck they would settle down again within the year. It had happened before, some decades ago, although it hadn't been quite this widespread and persistent. Worst case scenario, and the one he considered the more likely after the events of this morning, was that Reikai was sticking their fingers in the pie again and orchestrating some kind of mass upheaval that would facilitate their "benign" intervention and lead eventually to closing the barrier and living under the restrictive laws of King Enma and this "miko school" Koenma was touting was a flimsy cover for a large scale miko recruitment operation that surely would have been impossible to hide for long in Ningenkai at least.

But then, why would Reikai essentially sabotage their own interests by making a clumsy and blatant move in Makai with this Shisou monster, and leave the proverbial finger pointed right at themselves? That suggested to Yomi that perhaps Reikai was not unified in its interests and that they were seeing the efforts of multiple factions, as it were. Civil unrest in Reikai? It wasn't unheard of, but they had endured the last several centuries in relative peace, from what he could tell. And where did that put the miko? She answered to Koenma, who of course answered to King Enma, so if Reikai were behind the recent developments then it would follow that she was working in their interests. However, she could just as well be a double agent for another faction within Reikai, infiltrating the enemy.

All of these possibilities were plausible, but he would need more information to fill in the gaps. As it was his theories were nothing more than educated speculation.

His communicator buzzed in his breast pocket and he smiled in anticipation. So he folded his hands and he sat back in his chair and he _listened_.

And it had all been very interesting, to say the least, and he commended Kurama for doing his job and leading the conversation where it needed to go without letting on to her that he had any particular aims for the conversation at all. He had been unsure with which what vigor his old friend would approach his assignment, but he had done so very satisfactorily thus far. And things had been going to plan. Until the miko needed to stop for a rest, which really he didn't mind, that was more time for Kurama to draw out information from her, except that he left her alone to go ahead to "check the bridge." It was strange. Kurama knew that bridge was still intact, it was still patrolled on the east side of the gorge after all.

So Yomi had been sure Kurama was trying to get out of earshot of the miko in order to contact him via communicator, for what reason he couldn't fathom, and set the device on the table before him to await the call. But it never came. In fact, Kurama nor the miko had uttered a word in the last twenty three minutes. This was also strange. Perhaps Kurama had discovered a threat in the woods and was neutralizing it? But surely that wouldn't have taken him over twenty minutes, and surely if it had he would have heard something from it…

Then, the miko spoke Kurama's name, softly, questioningly, as though she were unsure if it was him she was talking to. A minute passed. Then Kurama yelled her name. Then nothing.

He waited four minutes to be sure that there was nothing more to hear from either of them. Then he flipped open the communicator to call Kurama. "Target out of range," a smooth, female voice intoned softly from the device.

And so that was when Yomi was certain something had gone terribly wrong. He called Mukuro.

—

Kagome's ears were ringing. And her mouth tasted like sand. And try as she might she couldn't draw a breath.

She was lying on her stomach where she'd landed moments ago, still in shock at whatever the hell had just happened to her.

And she couldn't get a breath. She was starting to panic.

Her limbs seemed to be obeying her, so at least she wasn't seriously injured. Just couldn't breath, no big deal.

She got one hand under her chest and raised her face up, spitting out sand and gasping ineffectually. It was probably just a temporary result of the impact, some rational part of her thought, but it also probably had something to do with the thirty pound backpack lying on her, crushing her lungs…

Grunting in a distinctly unladylike manner, Kagome managed to shimmy her arms out of the straps and roll out from under her bag and bow. She gasped, taking in a shocking lung full of damp, salty air, her heels digging ditches in the sand when her back arched with the effort of it.

Then there were suddenly hands on her and she remembered why she'd been running so hard in the first place. She lashed out clumsily with a frightened squeal, still confused, out of breath, and pumped full of adrenaline. But it wasn't six arms and razor teeth backed by five hundred kilos of Mistress Centipede baring down on her, but warm, strong hands and concerned viridescent eyes. So she focused on those eyes and tried to still herself. Those lips were trying to tell her something.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Kurama asked her, searching her for any obvious injury. Her eyes were wild and she struck out at him in panic. At his words she seemed to calm down and realize who he was.

"Kurama? Where did Mistress Centipede go?" she asked, grabbing his shoulders and accepting his help to pull herself into a sitting position. She planted her hands in the sand and looked around with wide, frantic eyes for the demoness from her nightmares.

"Mistress Centipede?" the fox asked from his position kneeling beside her, looking around as well for whatever threat she had perceived. He tested the air with his nose and although the wind sweeping up off the ocean to bufet the sandy coast was so saturated with salt he couldn't smell much else, he didn't feel any threatening youki when he reached out with his sixth sense.

"Didn't you see her? Like twenty meters long, huge teeth, a billion legs?! She's kinda hard to miss!" Kagome was still looking around like she expected something to pop up and eat her. But there was a peculiar lack of the forest she had expected to see. The fact that she was somehow, inexplicably sitting on a beach finally clicked. "Um, Kurama?" she asked softly, mounting panic in her voice. "Where are we?"

For his part, the fox was looking around himself, trying to spot any familiar landmarks, however unlikely that might be. He'd only ever seen one beach in the Makai. "It appears we are on a beach somewhere in the Makai," he told her unhelpfully.

"And I'm guessing there aren't any beaches in Yomi's territory…" she groaned, casting about uselessly. Nothing but a vast ocean on one side, tall grass and cattails that suggested marshlands on the other, and an empty stretch of sand before and behind.

"Kagome, I'm beginning to think we were lured into a portal…" the kitsune confessed, running his hands through the long strands of his deep red hair that were quickly becoming tangled in the coastal wind.

The miko frowned, bringing her sandy palms before her to stare at them for a few long moments. Kurama waited quietly while she seemed to internalize this fact. Then, she heaved a long-suffering sigh and looked up at him through the thick bangs that framed her face. "I just wish I didn't live the kind of life where falling into mysterious portals is a semi-regular occurrence," she told him flatly and Kurama couldn't help but chuckle at that. Kagome grinned in return, momentarily enthralled with the way his handsome features lit up when he laughed. But then she remembered where they were and how they'd gotten here and she was serious again.

"Ok, before we start trying to figure out how we got here, lets figure out where the hell we are," Kagome said, clapping her hands once before her and then dusting them off with a wrinkle of her nose. Kurama nodded, rising to his feet and then giving her a somewhat uncomfortable look when he reached to help her up and then reflexively jerked back his hand.

For the first time Kagome noticed the angry red welts across Kurama's palm and she looked absolutely mortified when she realized what had happened. She quickly closed the seal she'd opened when she'd drawn her bow on Mistress Centipede and scrambled to her feet. "Oh, Kurama, I'm so sorry!" she fretted, taking his hands gently in her own and turning the irritated palms up for her inspection. It wasn't a very bad burn as it had been completely unintentional and she'd only had one seal open, but it was still a burn and she knew it had to smart.

"It's nothing; hardly even itches," he assured her, thankful his voice wasn't as breathless as he'd feared it would be. This close he could smell her unique, sweet scent under the choke of the ocean spray. It filled his lungs, musk like the faint taste in the air of wet earth after a rainstorm overlain with something sugary that brought to mind a hill he'd sat on when he was a child for some reason. And above all that the smell of her skin was so achingly familiar he almost gave into the urge to lean into it and let that comforting scent envelop him.

It was too much, being so near to her and having absolutely no frame of reference for these feelings she brought out in him. He'd thought and he'd hoped that finally getting to interact with her would ease these disconnected feelings of longing and guilt and hopelessness he'd had from the moment he'd woken up in a sweat all those months ago with the lost memories of a lifetime crashing down over him with the fury of a storming ocean. From that moment his world had been turned upside down.

Sometimes he thought maybe he did understand why Youko had tried to keep that part of his life hidden from him. Maybe he'd been trying to save himself from this, this absolute gut-wrenching longing for a woman he'd ruined his chances with from the beginning. And now he couldn't even deal with the feelings from the perspective in which they'd developed because he wasn't Youko, no matter how much of the fox had survived in his failed avatar. He hadn't spent four centuries holding this woman under a cage, desiring and admiring her like some rare gem in his collection, and he hadn't tied her fate to his and caused her death deep in a forgotten cavern in Makai. But now he had to deal with the feelings as if he had, standing here across from the woman at the center of it all.

And hadn't his mother told him that life wouldn't be fair?

"Oh, hold on, I have a salve in my first aid kit," she said, moving toward her backpack.

Kurama caught her wrist before she could take another step in that direction. She turned questioning, rain-cloud eyes on him that made his heart ache all the more when he forced himself to let go of her and take a step out of her personal space. "Please, there's no need. They'll heal within the hour," he assured her. She still wasn't convinced. "If they don't you can put something on them, I promise… our priority should be finding out where we are."

That finally seemed to tip the scale and the miko nodded reluctantly. She knelt by her bag then at a less urgent pace to rifle through one of the larger pockets on the inside. "Well, Reikai gave me something that might be able to help us out with that." She sighed in frustration when it wasn't where she'd thought it would be and Kurama came to stand behind her, peering curiously over her shoulder. "I hope we're not out of range, because then we're in trouble…" she muttered, still elbow deep in her backpack. "Yes!" she said as she pulled the Rei-pedia out from where it had fallen to the bottom of the bag. "Koenma said this thing has a map function…" She fiddled around on a touch screen for a moment, trying a few different tabs before finding the WPS (world positioning system, because it worked in every world, apparently).

Kurama watched in fascination. As a part-time Reikai agent himself he was familiar with much of their more advanced technology, but he'd never seen anything like the Rei-pedia. It had to be something the development team had just finished. He told Kagome as much.

"Actually, Koenma said they designed the Rei-pedia just for me," Kagome said distractedly. Then she groaned.

A message had popped up over the little loading symbol: "Out of range, WPS unavailable."

"What exactly is the WPS's range?" Kurama asked, trying not to let his companion's suddenly dismal expression discourage him.

Kagome had laid the device down in the sand beside her and let her face fall into her hands. She shook her head and muttered behind her fingers, "Only up to about three hundred kilometers into the wild lands."

Kurama blinked, letting that little sliver of information sink in. Oh yes, they were in trouble.

Then Kagome was struck with an idea. "Wait! The map should still be available, though, even if it can't tell us where we are on it!" she said, taking up the notebook-sized device again. She tapped the screen and the error message disappeared and a map was left in its place. It showed a blue line that represented a river cutting through some green mountains. She zoomed out and when she saw the territory outlined in red labeled "Gandara" she realized that it had been showing her last position within the WPS's range. She zoomed out more until she could see all the inner territories, including Alarac and Hotaru, the Ningenkai barrier, and the beginnings of the borderlands.

Kurama, realizing what he was looking at, suggested, "Perhaps we should look for the nearest shoreline from our last position."

Kagome nodded, zooming out more and more until they finally saw a jagged shoreline appear in the corner. A little glimmer of hope lit when she realized what the tan and blue hatching along the small section of coast was: that designated that area as marshland. She eyed the scale in the top left corner of the screen and, using her pinky finger for reference, tried to estimate the distance between Yomi's territory and the nearest shoreline. "Maybe 40,000 kilometers, give or take a couple thousand, back to Yomi's territory, if we were lucky enough to land on the closest shoreline," Kagome lamented. "May as well be the moon."

A masculine hand appeared in her line of vision and she looked up to see Kurama gesturing as though he wanted to examine the device. She obliged and he held the Rei-pedia in his left hand to examine it while his right hand manipulated the touch screen. "But we wouldn't need to get back to Yomi's territory, only within Reikai's range so we could contact Botan… Of course!" Kurama cursed to himself and produced his communicator from his jeans pocket. "Should have done this to begin with," he muttered, flipping it open with his thumb since he still held the Rei-pedia in the other hand. But it immediately showed him a message that read "Out of service."

Kagome watched with interest. "No luck?" she asked when he tucked the communicator back into his pocket.

Kurama shook his head, but stooped to show her what he was looking at on the screen of the Rei-pedia. "We would only need to get within the WPS's range again. I suspect it uses the same recievers as our communicators, so it would stand to reason that they would have about the same range. So if we ended up here on this shoreline then that's only… 2,800 kilometers," he said, trying to cheer her.

She looked even more miserable, if possible. "So best case scenario we've got 2,800 kilometers to cover on foot, mind you, before we can contact Reikai… so if we walked for eight hours a day, five kilometers per hour, that would be…" her face scrunched in a way that Kurama couldn't help but find endearing as she tried to do the mental calculations.

"Roughly ten weeks," he finished for her.

The miko gave him a startled look. Just who did that kind of math in their head, anyway? "Why would someone send us halfway across Makai?… And who?"

It took a moment for Kurama to answer. He had straightened, looking inland over the endless marsh with unfocused eyes. "Undoubtedly the same someone who set that monster loose in Mukuro's territory. Transdimensional technology had to have been used there, too. The two events are most likely connected."

Kagome had dropped her face into her hands again, her shoulders slumped. The miko could only groan in response to that analysis. Of course their was some devious villain manipulating her and trying to keep her from doing her job. There always was, wasn't there? They couldn't ever just be like, "Oh, hey, Kagome. I was gonna make this hard for you, because that's the sort of thing I like to do, but I see you've got huge responsibilities to the lives of pretty much everyone ever riding on your shoulders, let me just let you get back to that undisturbed, yes, you're very welcome, and you're doing a fantastic job, by the way…!"

She groaned again, this time accompanied by a few self-pitying whines. Three days. Literally three days and she had already royally screwed her mission. After being the beneficiary of four months of uninterrupted one-on-one training with one of the best fighters in the three realms she had let some nightmare projection something scare her silly (because now that she could look at it objectively there was just no way Mistress Centipede had been alive in those woods with all of her arms with not even a whisper of youki to be detected from her and the sudden ability to let holy energy pass right through her). She had run (sprinted!) blindly into an obvious trap and now she was who the hell knows where in a vast, wild country where everything probably wanted to eat her and she had probably just singlehandedly destroyed any hope of continued peace between Makai and Ningenkai. Because it was going to take a minimum of ten weeks to get back to do her job. And that was _if_ they happened to be on the nearest coastline.

And she was getting a headache.

And she had sand in her shoes.

And she was hungry again.

She suddenly became aware that Kurama had come over to crouch beside her. He didn't say anything, but the Rei-pedia appeared in her line of vision through the gaps of her fingers.

She couldn't freak out. There were too many people depending on her. And she couldn't be a burden to Kurama. He had responsibilities to get back to, too.

So she raised her face from her hands and closed her eyes against the sudden sunlight. She breathed in deeply and held it for ten seconds, focusing on the rhythmic crash of the ocean to clear her mind. Then she let out that breath slowly.

 _Inhale order, exhale chaos._

That's what Miroku had always said.

Kurama was a little startled when Kagome suddenly snapped her eyes open and grinned broadly, unruly bangs and strands of hair that the wind had blown free from her braid blowing across her face. She took the Rei-pedia he'd offered and shot to her feet, almost bouncing on her toes in her hurry. She tucked the device back into her bag and began dusting the sand off her clothes and skin. "Well," she said cheerfully, brushing sand off her neck and absently wondering how it got there, "Whoever wanted us gone got their way, so there's nothing we can do about that now. They don't seem to have followed us here and there doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about this place in particular, so I think this should be the plan:" and Kurama listened with rapt attention, not because he couldn't have formulated a logical plan of action himself but because he was just kind of fascinated with how quickly she had gone from hopeless to sunny and determined. "We head southeast down this beach, assuming for now this is the area we guessed on the map. On the map the coast turns into steep cliffs as it goes south, so if we start seeing something like that we might have a firmer idea of where we are. I saw a couple of small towns and landmarks labeled, too, so that will be a help getting our position right. And we try to figure out who's behind this, because I'm sure they're not done with me yet. How does that sound?" By this time she had gotten her backpack and bow on and she was tightening the straps, readying herself for the long walk ahead of them. She checked her watch. It was 2:36 in the afternoon.

…Assuming they were in the same time zone. Wait, did Makai have time zones?

Kurama nodded quietly, not having much to add at the moment and already deep in thought about who could have sent them through a portal as they started walking down the beach.

Walking in sand was always kind of exhausting. The miko could already tell her calves were going to be sore tomorrow. Kurama startled her out of her thoughts. "You said something about a youkai called Mistress Centipede?" he asked, recalling that's who she thought he was at first.

"Yea, I thought she was chasing me earlier, back at the creek." Kagome told him about why she now doubted that what she'd seen was real.

The fox thought this over quietly for a few moments. Then, "Kagome, I believe we may have been manipulated telepathically. I, too, had a very strange experience in the woods."

And at least Kagome didn't have to worry about awkward silences between them any more because they had more than plenty to talk about now.

—

The halls of Koenma's palace were not usually so quiet.

Usually there were voices. People in meetings or coordinating projects or conducting research in the repository. People catching up on the latest gossip or discussing last night's episode of that human soap opera everyone was watching. Usually Wasahari would be coming around with the mail cart about now, stopping to chat up every department along the way and leaving every one behind him in raucous laughter.

But there was work to be done today. More work than usual. And the whole building was hushed, heads down and buried in their work.

Everyone felt the strain of the recently increased workload and the urgency of the goings-on in Makai and Ningenkai. However, as the boss Koenma of course bore the brunt of the stress.

Sitting at his desk in his little yellow office, Koenma snapped his communicator shut and slammed it down on the table with perhaps more force than necessary. Because things were starting to fall apart.

What Mukuro's trackers had discovered suggested a possibility so abhorrent, so bone-chilling that his blood ran cold to think of.

Someone outside of Reikai had transdimensional technology and what's more seemed to know how to use it pretty well. In the wrong hands, that kind of technology could bring about the utter destruction of the balance of the three worlds.

And on top of that, he had just lost his miko.

Koenma knew from experience that things were going to get much worse before they got better.


	12. Chapter 11: Lights Loom

AN: I'm really just thrilled with ya'lls feedback, you don't know. Thank you so very much for reviewing. I'm really enjoying telling this story and it's an incredible feeling knowing that my silly little fantasies are entertaining my readers. Thanks, and please enjoy!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 11: Lights Loom**

* * *

The room was dim, lit only by the feeble orange glow of an oil lamp behind her. She knelt, her ever-present oar on the floor beside her, before a folding screen decorated with mountainous scenes and waterfalls and tried surreptitiously to ascertain her master's form behind it. It was hard to tell. She never knew what he'd look like until she saw him. Sometimes he looked almost human. Other times he looked like… well, something out of her nightmares.

Her legs twitched with nervous energy. She absently stroked the tops of her thighs, taking comfort in her warm, silky coat against her palms. She wished Waikyoku were here, even if he never offered her any sort of comfort when facing their master he was at least someone else to draw the eldest youkai's focus. But Waikyoku had already received his punishment and he was out doing whatever he'd been instructed to do.

Hidzume always found having her master's undivided attention nerve-wracking. He was so unpredictable. Usually he was just cold. She really hoped this would be a usual meeting. But things hadn't gone exactly to plan.

"You did well, _Hidzume_."

The young demoness startled at the praise, not expecting it, even if he had emphasized her name in that way he did sometimes. And she became a little more anxious. Praise was worse than indifference but better than displeasure. "But we failed," she blurted out, wishing she could take it back immediately. Stupid, dumb mouth always getting her in trouble. But he surprised her again.

"Your objective was to remove the miko from the possibility of a potentially disastrous revelation and you succeeded in that. The fact that the avatar went through the portal with her is an inconvenience, but it will not matter in the end. Besides that, it was Waikyoku's failure, not yours."

It really didn't bode well, him speaking so nicely to her. "Thank you, master," she muttered, keeping her eyes down and hoping not to invoke too much of his attention.

"Waikyoku said you were upset this morning when the miko slew your eldest brother," he said with an air of only casual curiosity.

Waikyoku! She'd asked him not to tell about that. Hidzume frowned. "I… yes, I was upset," she confessed.

Silence. Long silence. "Why were you upset?"

She bit her lip. "I didn't know it would be like that."

"Was it terrible?"

"Yes."

"The feel of her reiki?"

"Yes."

"And his screams?"

"…Yes."

"Hidzume, your brother was not like you and Waikyoku."

"I know," she answered quietly.

"He did not think like you or feel like you. That is why Waikyoku had to handle him. Do you see?" his tone was soft and patient.

"I see, Master."

He fell silent again for a few long moments. Finally, she heard him draw a deep breath as though he had been considering her answer and was gathering his thoughts. "What is it about his death, then, that disturbed you, Hidzume?"

She knew her answer, but she didn't know how to say it. She didn't want to admit it to him. But he would get the answer. She couldn't refuse him for very long. "…Seeing Elder Brother destroyed by that woman, it made me… I- I wonder how expendable I am."

And she thought she heard him smile. She swallowed. "My child…" And she felt a _tug_ inside her, like she was being pulled by an invisible rope toward him. She _hated_ when he did this. The young demoness got her legs under her and the sound of hooves on bamboo floor echoed in the silent room as she rounded the folding rice paper screen to meet her master face-to-face. She tried not to show her relief when she found his nice human features regarding her neutrally. "Come closer, Hidzume," he commanded her softly. She obliged and stepped closer. He sat against the wall, lit with diffused yellow light through the screen, arm propped on one raised knee. He crooked one finger at her, beckoning her closer still. And she moved within arms reach of him, but no more. "Kneel."

She did and he regarded her with cinnamon colored eyes. "You have a job to do, Hidzume, and you are the only one who can do that job. Did you know that?"

Hidzume knew she was the only one who could use the oar. It wouldn't even work for Master; it was no more than a hunk of wood in anyone's hands but hers. "Yes, I know that."

"So you see, then, that as long as you are useful then you have no reason to harbor any fears of being expendable," he told her reasonably.

And yes, that made sense. Her shoulders slumped a little in relief. Then her master gave her a half-smile, no more than a slight upturn at the corner of his lips. He was silent for a few long moments and her anxiety began to build again. "I have a mission for you," he informed her without preamble. And he paused, seemingly expecting her to inquire further.

"What do you need us to do, Master?" she asked.

"Not 'us.' This one is only for you, Hidzume."

Lavender-colored eyes widened. "Me?" she couldn't help but ask, uncertain.

"Yes… You were much closer to witnesses this morning than I am comfortable with. That, of course, could not be helped. The situation demanded it. But if they did not suspect the use of a transdimensional device before then they certainly do now. And with the disappearance of two of Reikai's most valuable agents there will be widespread searches being conducted, likely through this area eventually as well. Unexpected circumstances have necessitated an improvisation, you see? I have talked to you about the importance of being flexible, do you remember?" She nodded. "One must adapt. So, you will go to Essouha on foot and you will purchase the fastest Hakra the stableman has and any supplies you need, including a weapon for yourself. And choose wisely. Then, you will ride northwest and find the miko and the avatar, but do not let them see you until you have heard from Waikyoku. He will contact you with further instruction."

Hidzume couldn't help but let her mouth fall open. Realizing that, she snapped her mouth shut and gave him a wide-eyed stare. Her cheeks florid, she managed to stutter. "R-ride? But I can travel much faster on my oar. I could find them in no time!"

He gave her a patient, but disapproving frown. "I am sending you away, Hidzume, because I cannot afford for you and the oar to be found. That is why you must hide it and never reveal it to anyone. And you must only use it if I explicitly instruct you to, and that will only be in an emergency. And you must _never_ fly on this mission."

She wanted to protest but she couldn't. Master's instructions were nonnegotiable. She swallowed thickly, looking more than a little hopeless and lost.

"Do you understand your instructions?" he asked. He never had to raise his voice. The young demoness looked to the ground and nodded mutely. "Good girl," he purred. Then he extended that hand that he'd had resting on his knee and brushed her forehead with his fingertips, moving aside a strand of her flaxen hair. "Never forget your place, _Hidzume._ "

She felt her cheeks get red all over again, this time with anger. But she held her tongue and only met his eyes instead and dipped her chin once, curtly. He handed her a fist-sized brown sack heavy with coins and a small handheld device that looked like Reikai and that he explained was a tracker for the miko. Then, without anything further, he dismissed her, instructing her to pack a bag and leave immediately.

Some time later as the young demoness passed the concealment wards and found the road, her nervous jitters left her and she actually found herself smiling. So she couldn't fly. That sucked royally. But she'd never, _ever_ been on her own before.

Suddenly giddy, she stopped on the road and stomped her hooves in the dust, squealing a little in excitement, a grin splitting her face.

—

Within the hour patrolmen were on the scene.

When Yomi had called him personally to tell him that he would be heading an investigation involving his second in command, Hibiki had been more than a little surprised, but as usual he didn't dare let that show. He had only been working for the much older youkai for a few months and he didn't have nearly the experience that Yomi's other investigators did. And he really didn't care to have this much responsibility put on him. He'd been backed into a corner when he agreed to work for Yomi; he really didn't give a damn about this job.

But, he really did kind of like Kurama who was most likely floating somewhere in the Haru river now. So the young wind apparition was unusually motivated on this job to find his boss and this miko chick he was with, alive or (more probably) dead, and track down the person responsible for it.

Yomi had told him that whatever happened had likely taken place somewhere between the spot where the Hakra Path met the creek and the west side of the bridge. When he got there five patrolmen had already found the place where something had happened and they hadn't even needed his special sense.

Cutting a swathe beginning from a spot at the top of the gorge only a few meters south of the bridge and ending next to the creek was a glittering black carpet of ashes that he spotted easily from the air as he flew in. He touched down at the edge of the gorge and strode forward to the group of older youkai discussing the strange black path. They quieted when they spotted him.

Wasting no time, Hibiki addressed the one in the bronze sash that indicated his superior rank among the group. "You are in charge here?" he asked shortly. He'd found that with the older youkai he had to be assertive right out of the gate or they'd walk all over him. And nearly every youkai in Yomi's employ was older than him.

The man looked startled and irritated to be addressed so casually. "Sergeant Takagawa, _sir_ ," he answered stiffly. "We've been here for only a few minutes."

Hibiki nodded, remembering to return the courtesy of an introduction at the last moment. "Hibiki," he said shortly. Then he strode through the trees, following alongside the path of black ash, or more accurately following the iridescent cloud of luminous pinkish vapor that floated above it.

Of course, he was the only one who could see that.

He heard Takagawa behind him bark out orders to the other four men to fan out and shout if they saw anything out of the ordinary, like more of this black stuff. Hibiki whipped around. "Stop!" Every one of the older youkai froze where they had just begun to enter the treeline. He glared at each of them. "Do not enter the forest. Stay at the edge of the gorge and do not disrupt the scene!" he commanded them.

Takagawa looked like someone had just stuck something very unpleasant under his nose. "We were ordered to investigate this scene, _Hibiki_ ," he said, emphasizing the fact that he didn't have a title like the Sergeant.

The young man gave the Sergeant a cold stare. "And I was ordered by Yomi himself to lead the investigation of this scene, and I'm telling you to stay out of my way and let me work."

Fuming, the older man backed down and stepped back out of the woods to wait at the edge of the gorge. Hibiki continued to follow the path through the woods until, a little under a kilometer in right next to the stream it ended abruptly and he found the evidence of a concentrated energy attack aimed into the vegetation about ten meters from the origin. He stepped around it, examining the glowing pink stream of light that began about one and a half meters in the air and continued in a straight path to end in an oblong crater of ash in the fauna. Intriguing. The energy signature had the same hair-raising feel to it as the path that led from the gorge. This must be the miko. He'd never seen or felt anything like it. It set his teeth on edge.

However, the strange thing was that there was no energy signature at the point of impact, or anywhere around it for that matter, that would indicate her demonic target. Habiki frowned. Why would she shoot at nothing? Could a miko's reiki completely erase a youki energy signature?

But no, he couldn't even spot a trail that whatever she'd shot at should have left through the forest when it was approaching her.

So that was a mystery for now and he'd circle back to that. Continuing away from the bank of the creek and up around a ridge was Kurama's energy signature. He had recognized it immediately, being very familiar with it. The fox's path was a cloud of faint green vapor and his was one that just didn't stand out as much to Hibiki as most did. The miko's was like looking at a neon sign but Kurama's was more like the diffused, warm light of a candle. He saw where it ascended and went out of sight over the trail from the ridge and the meadow above. But this was another bizarre thing. The miko's energy signature wasn't with his. What's more, she had seemed to join him out of thin air at the edge of the creek, right where she'd let loose the energy attack.

Now that was interesting.

Kurama's signature continued in a green haze past the creek where the miko had stayed and down the worn path towards the footbridge. However, quite suddenly, approximately three hundred meters after he'd started on the trail, the avatar had darted east off the path and continued in a nonsensical pattern, zigzagging behind trees and outcroppings as though he had been following something through the woods.

But again, there were no other energy signatures to suggest that he'd been following anything at all.

That was even more interesting.

He continued following the luminous, foggy trail until it suddenly changed direction again, heading in a straight line back toward the path to the bridge. Following alongside it, he found that it changed direction a final time less than 35 meters from the point at which it would have intersected the miko's path had it continued, veering northeast towards the gorge where it finally intersected the

woman's path at a point just over the edge of the cliff face,15 meters or so above the thundering, cool water below, where it ended abruptly in mid air along with the miko's.

Hibiki moved to one side of the path and then the other, staring hard over the edge of the gorge at the point they disappeared, willing some sort of evidence of what had happened to them at that point to show itself to him.

Dying would diminish one's energy signature, but it would be gradual as residual reiki continued to pour off the body for several minutes after death. But this hadn't been gradual. The trails ended as though those who had left them had simply been snatched out of the air into another dimension.

…Well there was an idea. He'd seen something like that before, hadn't he? He'd seen Kurama arrive through a Reikai portal once when he'd been meeting him outside Gyon-Bei, one of Gandara's more populated cities. And this Kagome woman was with Reikai too, right? Wouldn't it just be some shit if Reikai was behind this all along. Koenma was the one going on about two of his top agents disappearing in Yomi's territory and they'd better be investigating and producing some results…

The young wind user scowled. He hated politics more than anything. He'd always tried his best to stay out of the government's way. As far as he was concerned, the less he saw of the law the better.

But then he'd had to go and get caught…

And now he was hip-deep in government bullshit. First spying for Yomi (he called Hibiki an Intelligence Agent, but he was a spy, damnit, and he hated it) and now investigating a probable Reikai abduction.

He scowled at himself this time. He was letting himself get distracted. He was letting his anger rule his thoughts, and that would get somebody killed. So he pushed back the anger at his situation and concentrated on the scene. Taking a step right off the side of the gorge, he summoned air currents and moved around the energy signature hanging like a cloud in the air, examining the point of vanishing closely. Squinting, he scratched absently behind one delicately pointed ear.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the group of patrolmen looking down at him over the edge of the canyon in varying degrees of grudging interest. Ignoring them, Hibiki looked down at the water rushing below him. He moved down to just a hover just a meter over the water and surveyed the rocky banks of the river. He continued downstream, moving back and forth to examine each bank carefully. There was not much to be seen. Some animal prints in the soft mud. A very faint trail, at least four days old, down a narrow, steep footpath on the west side to the edge of the water and back up. When he'd gone three kilometers and found nothing he turned around and went back upstream to the bridge.

There was something big missing here. Mainly, the culprit. He had an energy signature for the miko and one for Kurama, but none for whatever the former had thrown an energy attack at and the latter had been apparently following through the woods. And none to explain their sudden disappearance.

Hibiki was rising back up to the ledge when he spotted something under the bridge. He squinted and moved closer. Now how had he missed that!

An energy signature! Pale purple and so faint it looked like nothing more than a slight lilac glare in the shadow of the bridge. Definitely no more than a D-class youkai. He hadn't spotted it before because his eyes had been attuned to the S-class trails left by the miko and fox. He hadn't been looking hard enough.

Now that he could see it, he followed it out from under the bridge and continued down towards the river at a 50 degree angle until it stopped less than a meter above the water and continued upstream. He followed it. And followed it some more. It continued in practically a straight line over the middle of the river, nearly six kilometers over rapids and a small waterfall, until it veered off to the west side of the bank and stopped suddenly.

And then he hit the jackpot. A glowing red mist. Another reiki signature. And this one was an A-class. The young demon spent a few moments examining the point of origin of the two trails. Nothing more to see there than the other two points of origin he'd examined.

So he followed the red reiki signature, the A-class that had to be behind the confusing events at the top of the east side of the gorge.

The trail moved in a 25 meter arch over the river and up the east side of the canyon, touching down on three or four footholds on the sheer rock face until it crested the top and continued into the woods, heading southeast toward the direction of the trade road that cut through all three of the major territories and that Hibiki knew Kurama and the miko had been traveling before they took the Hakra Path.

Hovering just below the canopy of the ancient forest, the young youkai followed the red energy signature through the trees, his updraft ruffling the vegetation violently as he passed. It continued in a relatively straight line to the main road until it stopped just within the tree line and then continued parallel to the route south. Less than half a kilometer from the trailhead of the Hakra Path, the red reiki signature veered south west from the road to follow parallel to the path, keeping a distance of at least 70 meters from Kurama's reiki trail until it stopped closely behind a wide grove of ancient Makai lilacs approximately 40 meters downstream from the miko's point of origin and where she let loose that energy attack at seemingly nothing.

Judging from the thick concentration of the reiki residue where the youkai had stopped and remained hidden, they had put out a huge amount of youki in that spot, doing what he couldn't imagine.

And that was where the trail ended. There was a faint lavender glare where the other youkai had stood for a brief moment before they both disappeared again.

So there was a bit of a mystery to be examined here. The young youkai frowned and scratched behind one ear.

After spending a few minutes crouching there in the same spot the two mysterious youkai had been to see what kind of view they had of the creek, he started moving back through the trees to the the beginning of the black ash path to the gorge, pulling his communicator out of the back pocket of his jeans and flipping it open with practiced ease to call Yomi. Something big had happened here and it stunk of Reikai.

—

"Water, water, everywhere; nor any drop to drink," Kagome sighed as she stood with her bare feet in the cool sand, letting the rising sun warm her and staring bleakly out at the still salt marsh blanketed in a dense, milky fog lit faintly orange in the weak dawn light.

She heard Kurama chuckle behind her as he rolled up the sleeping bag they'd shared the past two nights, unzipped and laid out of course so that they could both lie atop it to get off the sand, and stuffed it down into her backpack. "It's not so drastic, yet that you need to go quoting romantic literature," he assured her good-naturedly.

She gave him a rye half-smile. "Sorry, Kurama. Just… we're almost out of water and there's no end in sight to this beach and without knowing how far it goes it would be really unwise to try to cross the marsh," she sounded more hopeless as she went on. "I know I'm supposed to be a survivor and all that, I mean I got thrown into the Feudal Era when I was a middle school student, but I've never had to test how long I can go without water, and I'm afraid it wouldn't be very long."

Kurama left her backpack in the sand and paced over to stand beside her. He leaned forward to catch her eye, smiling just a little in an attempt to lighten the gravity of the situation as she described it. "Like you said, Kagome, you're a survivor. And so am I. You should ask some of the guys who've tried to kill me in the past ten years," his smile widened, a little self-deprecating. "This beach isn't going to kill me. And it's not you."

Heartened, the miko returned the smile with a hesitant nod. Well, if he could summon up some optimism then so could she. Kagome walked back to her backpack and pulled out the canteen. After shaking it she sighed, frowned, and put it away unhappily. Kurama suddenly appeared beside her and touched her arm, pulling her lightly back toward the inland. She gave him a questioning look and he just told her to follow him. Frowning again, she debated briefly over whether to stay put simply out of spite because he wouldn't take a moment to tell her what he was thinking or to just follow him before deciding her temper was getting the better of her and giving into curiosity.

Together they climbed over the low, sloping dune dotted with coastal brush and stopped on the other side at the edge of the fog-drenched marsh. Kurama coaxed her over to the hip-deep grass that grew out of the saline water for as far as they could see. Kneeling on one knee, he pulled her down beside him with a gentle tug on her wrist. When she was sufficiently confused and interested in what in the world he was doing, the kitsune gently gathered a half dozen or so of the three centimeter wide blades of grass that Kagome had only now noticed were coated thickly with glittering dewdrops. Then suddenly the grass was growing from the place just above where it was clenched in his hand to bring the dew-laden tips of the leaves to just in front of his face. And, glancing up through his lashes once at her to make sure she was still watching, he wrapped his tongue around the leaves to bring them to his lips and pulled them through, thoroughly licking away the dew.

Kagome watched, fascinated, her eyes glued to the tongue that darted out to lick the last of the precious water from his lips. She swallowed and looked quickly up to his questioning green eyes. Had she zoned out there for a minute? Oh! He was offering a handful to her.

She nodded and leaned forward. He coaxed the plant to take the dew to her lips and she laid a hand over his where it clutched the blades of grass to guide it. Feeling a blush rise on her cheeks, the miko mimicked his motions and brought the leaves to her mouth with her tongue, pulling them away to gather the little droplets of water that had been collected there. It was only enough to wet her mouth, really, but it felt wonderful and cool on her tongue. Her eyes fluttered up to meet his and she found that he was giving her a strangely intense look that reminded her of Youko. She snatched her hands back into her lap and looked down at them, suddenly bashful.

"Thank you," she said softly, cursing herself inwardly when her voice cracked. She cleared her throat.

Kurama waved it off with a shrug as if to say it was nothing. Then he took another handful of grass and repeated the performance, Kagome trying to keep her eyes averted but not in an obvious way, all the while feeling her face and chest getting hotter and hotter until she had to wonder if a few meager mouthfuls of water had been worth trudging over the sand dunes to kneel here in the sand feeling like she might erupt into flames, despite the pleasantly cool morning mist that hung in the air.

After they each got a few more silent sips of dew, Kurama stood and helped her to her feet and they walked silently back over the sand dunes and to her backpack and her bow. He pointed out the cap of a green mountain in the distance that they had spotted yesterday evening before they bedded down. Forests meant fresh water. Hope loomed on the horizon. If they could get there before they succumbed to dehydration…

The two dusted off their feet, slipped their shoes back on, and started moving down the beach. As they trudged over long stretches of sand and wide, shallow inlets where sea water flowed into the salt marsh they chatted about nothing in particular, childhood memories of trips to the beach and food they couldn't wait to eat once they found a town, and hours passed. The sun rose and the fog lifted from the marsh and the pleasant coolness in the air turned to a smothering damp.

Kagome swiped the back of her bare arm against her damp forehead and looked over at Kurama trudging along beside her. He looked as parched and tired as she felt.

It was almost four in the afternoon now and the mountain in the distance still seemed worlds away. She was starting to get more than a little worried about their situation actually. She wouldn't last long after they ran out of water, which would be soon, and she doubted Kurama would make it much longer than her.

They'd stopped talking a long time ago to conserve energy and moisture. It wasn't that it was really so hot here, but the combination of shifting sand and the damp air made it feel like they were walking through soup.

Reaching behind Kurama to her backpack which he'd finally persuaded her to let him carry after she had admitted that the stuff Dr. Tik Tik had put on her burns had finally dried up and worn off last night and that her shoulders and back were really very sore, Kagome took the canteen from the side pocket and unscrewed the lid. She proffered it to Kurama.

Accepting gratefully, the fox took a drink and passed it back to her, licking the precious water from his lips. He brushed the flyaway hairs back away from his face and tried to tuck them behind his ears. At least Kagome had leant him a hair tie.

The miko took a drink and shook the bottle slightly, frowning at how little water they had left. She put the canteen away reluctantly. "We'll be out of water by nightfall," she said dismally.

"We'll find water," he assured her.

"I'm not so sure," she lamented.

He gave her a somewhat mysterious, sidelong look. "I am more than this human shell would suggest, Kagome. I will not let us die here."

Her blue eyes widened slightly and she was about to ask exactly what he meant by that, but she was distracted when he suddenly looked up at something in the sky. Kagome turned around to find what he was looking at. There was something in the air over the marsh flying towards them.

It was large, difficult to judge at such a distance but perhaps about the size of a man. But it was clearly a bird of some kind with a long slender neck and long legs trailing behind it. They watched silently as it pumped its wings in a crooked path, sometimes seeming almost frantic in its efforts to reach the coast. As it got closer Kagome got a better look at it. "Looks like a crane," she remarked. Kurama nodded in agreement.

As they watched the bird's shadow passed directly over them and it continued out over the waves, fluttering in the harsh coastal updraft pitifully. It looked weak. "What is it doing?" Kagome wondered aloud. Suddenly, about two kilometers out and well past the breakers, it tucked its wings and dove towards the water. Kagome gasped and covered her mouth when it hit the churning green surface of the sea at breakneck speed. It didn't surface again. She took an unconscious step towards it as though she could have swam out to help it.

"What the hell was that about?" Kagome asked her companion anxiously, clutching her hands to her chest in an unconscious gesture that brought a thousand still frames in lamplight to his mind's eye. She was biting her lip. She always bit her lip when she held her hands like that.

"I don't know," Kurama answered, looking off in the direction the bird had come from.

After a moment, she said what he was thinking. "That's the only bird we've seen the whole time we've been out here. We haven't even seen a seagull."

"It is. However, it was a crane. They live and nest in marshlands," he frowned thoughtfully, continuing to gaze out over the marsh where the bird had come from. He squinted into the distance, but could see nothing else. Kagome waited quietly, wondering what he was thinking about.

Finally, after a few minutes had passed, Kagome ventured, "Kurama?"

He blinked and looked to her as though he'd just remembered she was there. "Oh, forgive me. I was thinking…" She raised her brows to indicate that he should elaborate but he only waved it off. "It doesn't matter. We should keep walking. We only have a few hours of daylight left."

And so they did. By the time night fell Kagome had completely forgotten about the strangely-behaved bird from that afternoon. All of her thoughts had since been consumed by her thirst. They'd finished the last of the water just as the sun went down.

They ate a meager dinner of jerky and nuts and then Kagome started pulling out the sleeping bag. But then she noticed Kurama had disappeared. She looked around, squinting in the moonlight until she spotted his silhouette a few meters away on a sand dune. "Whatcha looking for?" she called to him curiously, satisfied that she'd located him and going back to spreading out the sleeping bag.

He didn't answer for a moment, staring out over the wetlands with his back to her and the moonlight over the sea. Kagome dusted off her hands and looked back up to him. "Well?" she asked again, cocking her head to the side curiously.

"Come look at this," he said distractedly, not turning away from his post but waving her over with a hand over his shoulder.

Kagome stepped around her backpack and the sleeping bag she'd spread out over the sand to climb up the dune. When she crested the top he grabbed her elbows to help steady her and she looked out into the marshland where he pointed.

And her eyebrows shot up. And her heart fluttered. She gripped Kurama's forearms where her hands still rested and turned wide, blue-gray eyes on him, questioning. Did he see what she was seeing? "Are those lights?" she asked breathlessly, afraid she'd somehow scare the glorious little lifelines away with her question.

"I believe they are," he answered.

"Lamp lights?"

"Their color and stationary positions would suggest that." He was calm and rational as always.

But Kagome was positively bursting. Maybe they wouldn't die out here after all. She couldn't help but give him a brilliant smile.


	13. Chapter 12: Fool's Oasis

AN: Thank you for your responses! Here's a whole chapter of Kur/Kag just for my lovely reviewers. 3 Please enjoy!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 12: Fool's Oasis**

* * *

Kagome didn't even want to look at her watch. They had been wading through the meter high reeds and warm, ankle-deep water of the salt marsh for what surely had been hours. Her feet hurt. Her mud-logged sneakers were heavy and rubbing blisters through her wet socks. She was probably going to have jungle rot or whatever by the time this was over, if she didn't just fall face-down in the water from exhaustion and dehydration.

Kurama had been very quiet since they'd left the relative comfort of the beach some hours ago. He walked slightly ahead and to the right of her, her backpack slung over one shoulder, cautious but keeping speed. He _crept_ , was the only way she could put it, knees bent slightly and shoulders hunched a little as though he were ready to spring into action at any moment. It would have been weird to see a man move with such animal grace if she hadn't spent most of her life around beautiful male youkai.

Seeing all his slinking about, Kagome wondered if she should be worried. But they hadn't seen or heard anything out here bigger than a crab (like the one that had scuttled across her path earlier as they crossed a sandbar and sent her reeling onto her rear end because in the elongated shadows of her flashlight it had looked like a giant spider). And besides that, she had been periodically feeling out their surroundings with her sixth sense. She may be exhausted but she hadn't forgotten that someone had wanted them here enough to lure them into a trap and they could show up at any moment to finish whatever it was they'd started.

The wind had dissipated considerably in the night and as they moved inland there settled a muggy stillness in the air that stuck in her dry throat like honey. The miko swallowed thickly and tried to judge how far away the lights were now. It was a futile effort in the darkness that laid over this monotonous, sodden landscape. Surely they were getting close by now…

She gave in and checked her watch. 12:32 AM. Geez she was so tired. Her appetite hadn't really subsided since she'd woken up in Mukuro's infirmary two and a half days ago, but in the interest of conserving the rations that she was now sharing with another person she'd restrained herself. And she hadn't gotten to sleep nearly as much as she needed to. With the kind of sheer determination that she'd honed in her search for the Shikon no Tama (and that could mostly be attributed to Inuyasha's tireless pushing and his ignorance of the limitations of a modern 15-year old human's endurance), she had pushed through her exhaustion for the last couple of days. But it was going to catch up to her at some point and she would need to let her body replenish its reiki.

Besides herself, she had Kurama to think about now too. A lifetime ago in a situation like this she might have seen herself as a hindrance to a youkai counterpart (although what Kurama technically qualified as, being a mostly youkai soul inhabiting a human body, she wasn't sure), but she had grown a lot since then and she could take care of herself pretty well. But although they were both fairly strong opponents to any would-be enemies, this was completely unknown territory. Even the experts in Reikai didn't know much about what was outside the circle of their influence in the Makai. The Rei-pedia's map of the wild lands was geographically detailed, and it even had some villages and towns indicated, but there were no names or territories or borders indicated. There was just really no telling what they could come across out here. Who knew what kind of people lived out here, who had turned away from the civilization of the inner territories? What kind of long-forgotten beasts roamed the unsullied wilderness?

Not that they'd seen signs yet suggesting the presence of anything more dangerous than a crustacean. Well, there was that bird.

And the lights! Which were beginning to look a lot closer. As the miko and avatar moved through the reeds, the glowing yellow orbs of the lamplights seemed to rise up out of the marsh, ascending slowly higher over the horizon. And as they got closer still, the dark solid shapes of buildings materialized through the fog.

Kagome was just about to squeal with joy when Kurama suddenly crouched low in the reeds, the knee of one rolled-up pant leg becoming soaked with saltwater. He indicated for her to get down and she obliged, flicking off her flashlight in a long-begotten habit as she did. When her own knee hit the mud, she immediately craned her neck, searching the hazy, moonlit marsh with wide eyes, trying to find whatever he'd spotted. The buildings were still at least 90 meters through the fog, although it was difficult to judge.

"What is it?" she whispered so low it was barely audible.

Kurama heard her. He cornered glowing eyes at her and laid one index finger vertically over his lips to indicate that they needed to be silent.

Momentarily startled by his reflective eyes, she snapped her mouth shut and stared with round eyes at his profile. He had bowed his head slightly with his right ear angled toward the cluster of buildings and lights, a look of intense concentration on his delicately handsome features. The silver moonlight, diffused even as it was through the mist, lit him in a bluish halo, highlighting the damp, wild bangs that framed his high cheekbones. He'd also removed his button-up, leaving his well-defined shoulders and arms bare and glistening with sweat and condensation. As he listened his eyes moved over the wetland absently, catching the moonlight like little round mirrors.

His eyes hadn't looked like that in the dark before, like Inuyasha's and Youko's and most other youkai she'd seen. They'd looked completely human until now. Her brow furrowed. And he'd told her his hearing wasn't any better than hers. Then she remembered what he'd said earlier about being more than a human shell. Hm…

Realizing she was letting herself get distracted again, the miko returned her attention to their surroundings. The night was strangely quiet, only the muffled sound of nocturnal insects in the reeds breaking the silence. Kagome squinted, trying to make out any details of the little cluster of buildings. It was hard to see clearly through the mist but she thought they looked a little high up, almost like they were floating over the water.

"I don't hear any movement. The inhabitants are probably asleep. We should proceed cautiously," Kurama whispered to her. She nodded in agreement and, after tucking the flashlight back into her backpack he still carried, followed her companion as he moved forward again, slinking. For her part, Kagome tried to keep her splashing steps through the water as quiet as possible.

It took them only a few minutes of wading to reach the buildings. And, as they drew closer, Kagome realized that they had looked like they were floating because they were built on top of stilts that rose three meters out of the water. There were around a dozen or more small, rectangular buildings, about four by four meters each, with rounded, thatched roofs, each with a lamp beside the door. They were all positioned six to ten meters apart and connected with long, wooden docks two meters wide lined with hanging lamps. Kagome, in all her time exploring the budding human civilization of feudal Japan, had never seen anything quite like it. But then she noticed something strange.

There were no steps. Or ladders, or anything to indicate how whoever lived here got up and down from the platform. Hm… Unless-! "Kurama, do you think maybe this is where that bird came from that we saw earlier today?"

The avatar gave her an unreadable look. "I believe it is. You noticed there are no steps?" At her nod, he continued, "You remember how strangely that crane acted, though. Something doesn't… feel right here."

"Have you ever seen a crane village before?" she asked curiously, wondering what exactly he found unusual about the situation.

"No," he admitted, "But I have an unsettled feeling. And I've learned not to ignore my instincts." Then he turned those glowing animal eyes on her, regarding her earnestly. "Kagome, we must be careful. We are very vulnerable out here. We cannot call for backup if we get in over our heads. We are all we have," he said seriously.

Kagome returned his grave look with a determined one of her own. "Agreed."

After they'd settled that, the kitsune-turned-human focused his attention back up to the docks. "I think we should knock on a door, rather than try to call someone out here and probably end up waking up every household."

"That sounds good. But, eh, how do we get up there?" Kagome asked, eying the smooth, wooden stilts uncertainly. She could climb a tree with limbs, sure, but a pole?

Kurama gave her a small smile. "Hold this, please." He let the backpack slide down his right arm and passed it smoothly along to her. She followed him to stand at the corner of one of the docks. She watched, interested to see what he how he would get up there.

The avatar stopped under the edge of the dock directly in front of one of the beams that held the platform aloft, sizing up the distance for a moment. Then, without much warning, he crouched and then sprang straight up, swinging his arms up over his head to grab the wooden ledge, leaving a trail of water arching off his airborne feet. When he had a firm hold he curled his knees under to grip the beam with the soles of his shoes. Even with sodden shoes he somehow found enough purchase on the smooth surface of the beam to give himself the leverage he needed to pull his upper body up over the ledge. Once his ribs had cleared the top he only had to lean forward to shift his center of gravity over the platform to get his hips over the ledge and roll left into a sitting position on the edge of the dock.

Listening intently for any signs that he had woken anyone, Kurama sat completely still, looking out over the vast expanse of marsh until he was sure they were as yet undetected. When he was satisfied the avatar leaned forward, hands planted on the smooth wood surface under him, to look down through his dripping feet at the miko still standing in the lukewarm water meters below. She was looking at him with her mouth hanging open slightly. Then he pulled his legs up to lay on his stomach, his arms now extended over the edge of the platform. He motioned to the still speechless woman below to toss up her backpack.

Shaking her head, Kagome finally came to her senses. He had just shimmied up there like a tomcat, hadn't he? Well, if he could do it…

Up above on the dock, Kurama startled when Kagome's backpack, along with her bow secured to the backpack by a velcro strap, which altogether had to weigh well over fifteen kilos, landed with a solid thud next to him on the dock. He blinked owlishly, looking down at the spot where the bag had left the ground. Then he looked to the side where Kagome was already standing before the beam at the corner, sizing up the jump. Then, she sprung. And although she was exhausted, dehydrated, wearing wet jeans and apparently running low on reiki, she managed to pool enough spirit energy into her legs so she could make the three meter jump to grab the wooden ledge. Mimicking his technique, she was able to gain leverage and hoist herself up over the edge and roll over onto her back on the dock. Kagome grinned up at the night sky, lying there while she regained her breath. Sure, her climb up had been closer to a scramble than Kurama's graceful ascent, and she was panting a little, but she'd gotten up here just the same!

And so she giggled. Because she was just a little deliriously happy at this point because they'd finally made it out of that saltwater limbo they'd been stuck in for days and whoever lived here would surely have drinking water and food and maybe even a soft futon to lie on. She thought a bath might be too much to hope for, especially in a place like this where clean water would be so hard to come by, but still!

Kurama came into her line of sight with her backpack slung over his right shoulder and his left hand extended to help her up. She smiled in thanks and accepted the offer, rising to her feet. The avatar gave her an appreciative smile. "Impressive," he said, "Yusuke didn't skimp on the strength training, did he?"

"That's what four months of squats with Urameshi riding you like an ostrich will get you," she answered, keeping her voice low. "But actually, I cheated a little. I used reiki," she admitted, giving him a cheeky grin.

He laughed then. "You really carried Yusuke around?" he asked in disbelief.

"Did a lot worse than that. He said he gave me the 'full Genkai treatment,' and all I can say is if that was secondhand, I'm glad I never had to train under this Genkai lady."

"Ah, Genkai-sama would have liked you, though. You're like her, in some ways, only much more likable," Kurama confided. But he suddenly became serious, stilling and cocking an ear toward the nearest little home at the end of the dock, some twelve meters from where they stood. Kagome, catching on, became still and held her breath, watching the doorway of the home.

A hand pushed aside the hanging thatched blind that served as the front door and a man stepped out into the lamplight. He was… unusual looking. The first thing she noticed was his almost beak-like lips and beady, wideset eyes. His neck was also a little longer than the average human's would be, and he had a large, round patch of bare red skin on his crown wreathed in white feathers. The man spotted them immediately. They braced themselves for an altercation, knowing how suspicious they must look showing up uninvited in the middle of the night…

But the youkai didn't react immediately. He looked at them for a moment, then turned his small black eyes to the hazy, silver-lit marshlands around them. The night was quiet but for the muffled, distant sound of insects. The crane, as Kagome assumed he must be, looked to them again without much expression, regarding them silently.

"Um," Kagome began uncertainly, unable to take the awkward silence for any longer, "We're sorry to interrupt your sleep, sir, but we are somewhat lost and out of water, and we saw your lights…"

The man regarded them silently a moment longer, looking out to the night almost as though he were expecting something, then turned back to them. "Lights," he repeated dumbly. And nothing more.

Kagome looked to Kurama, lost. So he tried, "Yes, your lamplights. We've been walking for several days without water."

"Water," the crane repeated.

Becoming frustrated, the avatar tried asking a question instead. "Do you have water you can spare? And perhaps a room where we could spend the night?"

Blinking. Looking around. Then back to them. "Water. Yes, we have water." The crane nodded, then started down the walkway toward them.

The two newcomers shared a look. Was there something wrong with this guy or was this normal for cranes? The youkai stopped at the junction where another walkway met the one they stood on perpendicularly and looked to them as if to indicate they should follow him. Kagome looked to Kurama and shrugged. Well, simple enough then…

So the miko and the kitsune followed the helpful, if not particularly lively, crane as he led them down the walkway to what appeared to be the center of the community. Kurama was still on high alert, glowing eyes roving over every detail of the buildings around them, and he had surreptitiously slipped in front of Kagome to keep himself between her and the crane, should his misgivings about this place prove founded. Their wet, squelchy footsteps against the wooden dock seemed impossibly loud in the quiet of the night, and especially next to the youkai's near silent steps.

The crane stopped in front of the entrance to one of the buildings. Unlike the one he'd stepped out of, presumably his home, this one had a sliding door which he slid open before taking the lit lamp hanging by the doorway and stepping inside. Kurama, after looking over the contents inside and realizing this was a storage building, followed him in and Kagome stepped in after.

Inside the building were dozens of wooden barrels and white sacks of what was probably rice, a few rolls of fabric, a bit of dusty furniture stacked in a corner. The crane approached one of the barrels stacked on top of another. Towards the bottom of the barrel, at about eye level, was a tap. He stopped and motioned to it with one hand, observing them with that blank look and unreadable eyes. "Water," he said simply.

Kurama took the canteen from the backpack and was at the tap in a few short steps, filling the large, flexible flask for nearly a minute. When it was full he immediately turned around and handed it to Kagome. She smiled in thanks and took the container from him. With a sigh of pleasure she drank long and deep from the canteen, her eyes fluttering closed with the relief of the cool, life-giving water on her parched throat. When she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and gave the water back to Kurama he wasn't surprised to find the weight of it diminished by almost least half. They'd had to share the canteen for over two days; both of them had been dangerously dehydrated.

"Thank you so much," Kagome gushed to the crane who stood quietly holding the lamp, watching them with no real expression. "You've saved our lives, really."

When the youkai didn't answer, the miko cleared her throat nervously and looked to the avatar who was just bringing the canteen away from his lips. Screwing the lid back on, he tucked it back into its netted pocket. "We are in your debt, sir. We became lost in the marsh a few days ago. We thought we would die out here. My name is Kurama, by the way. My companion is Kagome," the avatar introduced them, bending slightly at the waist as was polite, Kagome following suit.

The crane blinked at them. "Lost. Yes. The marsh is very big. I am Ashi."

"Ashi-san, it a pleasure to meet you," Kurama answered, glad to be getting somewhere with this conversation. "My companion and I are exhausted from crossing the marsh; we would be eternally grateful if you could offer us a place to sleep for the night."

The youkai was nodding now. "Yes, Kurama and Kagome. Yes, our home is your home. Please, follow me. You may stay in the guest's home." And without anything further he exited the storage building. After they had all cleared the doorway he turned and slid the door shut, replaced the lamp, then continued on down the walkway toward the opposite side of the little floating community. He asked them over his shoulder, "What are you and your mate doing in the marsh?"

Kagome spoke up this time, blushing a little. "Oh, no, we're not mates," she assured him quickly, darting her eyes over to Kurama in embarrassment. "And we're just trying to get home."

The crane stopped suddenly and turned back towards them. "Kurama and Kagome, you are not mates?" They both shook their heads. "Then you will want to stay with the other unmated young ones." And he made to go back the way they'd come.

"Oh, no, really that's ok. The guest's home will be fine. I'd hate to wake up another household so late at night. We've already disturbed you enough," Kagome tried, preferring a home to themselves. The man had been very kind so far, so she hated to admit it but this place did seem a little suspicious for some reason and she'd sleep much better with a little privacy.

"No, no, that would be indecent," the crane said with an air of finality. "Indecent," he repeated with a shake of his head. And then he started leading them back up the walkway. Kagome gave the fox a helpless look and he returned it with a reassuring quirk of the lips as if to say it would be alright. So they followed Ashi. He led them across the docks back to the center of the community. Just beside the storage building was a smaller, residential building with a hanging blind in the doorway, an identical structure directly across from it.

The crane stopped before the one next to the storage building and took the lamp hanging by the doorway. He beckoned Kagome toward him. Biting her lip, she stepped forward hesitantly, giving Kurama an uncertain look. Ashi handed her the lamp and gestured her toward the door. "This is the women's residence," he said with no further explanation.

Suddenly Kurama sidled up to her and Kagome stopped mid-step. "Ashi-san, I have been carrying Kagome's bag. May I take it inside for her?"

The crane looked hesitant, but conceded, and the two ducked quickly beneath the hanging blind before he could change his mind. Unexpectedly, the room was empty. But that served Kurama's purposes all the better. As soon as they were inside the avatar took Kagome by the arm and pulled her into the corner to give them privacy with his back to the doorway. Kurama leaned in to whisper close to her ear. "I still have a suspicious feeling about this place. Keep your eyes open," he told her seriously. Kagome, hardened, nodded. "If anything happens, open a seal," he whispered, sliding his hand down her forearm to her wrist, pressing his thumb lightly against the tattoos there to make sure she understood. "I'll be able to feel it." The miko swallowed thickly. She was so warm all at once. She nodded again, hoping she didn't give away her sudden nerves.

Then Kurama pulled away to set her backpack on the floor. He was about to turn back to the doorway when Kagome touched his arm. He gave her a questioning look. "Um," she said, silently cursing her awkwardness. "Thank you," she finally got out. "For getting us here and for carrying my backpack."

He shrugged and gave her a genuine smile. "You could have done it on your own."

"Maybe," she said, not at all sure of that and wondering quietly how he had such confidence in her.

Then he was gone and Kagome stared at the doorway after him for a few moments, lost in thought. Coming out of it, she finally took note of the room that was to be her sleeping quarters. It was empty, which came as a surprise to her. Ashi had made it sound like there would be other "unmated young ones," as he'd put it, living here.

It was one room and looked pretty much like any other preindustrial Japanese home she'd ever seen. A low dining table in the center of the room, some cushions, a dish cupboard, and a few storage chests. There was a watercolor painting on one wall depicting a flock of red-crowned cranes at the mouth of a river, blue irises and orange lilies clustered along the banks and snow-capped mountains in the background. It looked like many other paintings she'd seen hanging in homes, but it was unusually emotive. The cranes seemed… happy.

Her eyes left the painting and she took a seat on the floor to pull off her wet shoes and socks, sitting the oil lamp on the ground beside her. There hadn't been a foyer to remove one's shoes at the door like most houses she'd been in, but now that she thought about it Ashi had been barefoot so maybe these cranes just didn't bother with shoes. The miko grimaced at the state of her feet. The skin was wrinkled and raw from the friction of saltwater and the wet fabric of her socks. She considered looking through her first aid kit, but as there were no breaks in the saturated skin she decided the best course of action would be to just keep them bare for the next day or so and let the skin rejuvenate on its own.

Having decided that, she pulled out a fresh change of clothing and stood on her sore feet to peel the soaked, filthy jeans and tee-shirt off her body. The soft hiss of sand hitting the wood floor broke the silence of the night. Frowning, she shook out the clothes and laid them out flat on the floor to dry. After changing her underclothes and putting on a camisole and sweatpants to sleep in, Kagome padded softly to one of the chests along the west wall of the room.

In the first one she opened was only clothing, soft cotton kimonos in pastel grays and blues like the one Ashi had been wearing, clean and neatly folded. In the second she found rolled futons and pulled one out to spread out on the floor next to her bag. Now that the thrill of finding an oasis in the marshland had worn off, exhaustion creeped up on her like weights tied to her shoulders becoming heavier with each passing second. The miko yawned a tongue-curling yawn and rubbed her eyes already itchy with sleep. She was hungry again, but she didn't think she could stay awake long enough to eat anything. Kagome collapsed onto her hands and knees on the futon and just managed to turn off the oil lamp before she sunk into the soft layers of the little bed. And although she was drained and hungry, sore and uneasy in strange surroundings, and she hadn't had a bath since Shisou, her last thought before she drifted into unconsciousness was how grateful she was not to be sleeping on hard sand.

Meanwhile, in the men's residence across the walkway, Kurama was debating on whether or not to take the opportunity to investigate this strange little community they found themselves in while everyone was asleep. Ashi had woken the two young men living here, Kumo and Nami, introduced him as their guest, and then left to go back to his own home, presumably. The two younger cranes had done nothing more than sleepily acknowledge him, offer him a futon, and then climb back into bed where they now slept again.

Kurama observed them unabashedly as they slept, considering the creeping feeling of suspicion he had about this place. He tried to pinpoint some point of reference in their experience so far to explain why the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. Ashi had been very kind to them, even as distrait as he seemed to be. His roommates had not seemed much more lively, but they had also just been roused from their sleep so that could explain that. On the other hand, he'd never met any cranes so perhaps this was their regular disposition.

But he just couldn't shake the image of that pitiful crane they'd seen inexplicably throw himself into the crashing waves of the ocean earlier that day.

At least it seemed for now that they were being offered hospitality. Whether or not there was something more going on here than they could see, for now it would serve them better to play along. Having only just arrived in the community, it would be best not to be caught sneaking around outside in the middle of the night. Since it seemed they were relatively safe for now, he would cooperate. Still, he wasn't going to let his guard down, not among strangers and not with Kagome sleeping in the next building.

So Kurama sat in the dark with his back to the wall in the men's residence, Kumo and Nami snoring in the moonlight that streamed through the lone, open window, listening for anything strange and contemplating their next move.


	14. Chapter 13: Stranger Still

AN: So, I'd like to start out by saying that this story is stretching out into something much bigger than I thought it would be. I originally estimated I'd be able to tell it in maybe 150,000 words, but we're 70,000 in and I'm really just getting started. But I'm having too much fun to stop now! :) Also, I'd like to remind you that this is rated Mature and within the next couple of chapters it's going to earn that rating. Things have been pretty tame so far, but it's about to get crazy. My biggest reason for writing this story has been to stretch my skills as a writer. Although I could only choose two genres in the description, this story is going to cover many different genres. As some of you pointed out, it does kind of feel like a creepy horror movie right now. That is on purpose. I chose Makai as the setting mainly because it has so much potential for a diverse range of thematic elements. Although the story will get mature, if you're afraid it's going to get too dark, don't worry: I don't have the stomach for truly disturbing stuff.

Sorry to get chatty. As always, thank you immensely for the feedback and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter 13: Stranger Still**

Kurama sat at the edge of the east side dock where they had first crested the little floating crane village last night, his bare feet hanging over the edge and his palms planted on the smooth wood. He purposely kept an unconcerned demeanor about him, although he was anything but. In fact, he was highly concerned. He mentally recapped what he'd been able to ascertain about the village this morning.

First, and strangest, was that there were exactly four people living here, not including himself and Kagome of course, despite the fact that there were no less than fifteen buildings in the community, thirteen of those appearing to be residences. From what little he could ascertain by peeking surreptitiously through windows, every one of them had the look of being recently occupied. So the empty houses were strange.

Then, there was the largest building in the community, presumably a gathering place. _Presumably_ because all five of the windows had been covered and nailed hastily shut with boards and the sliding wood door was nailed shut as well with long, crooked nails driven into the doorjamb. So that was pretty strange, too.

Then, Kurama had gotten close enough to hear inside the building. It wasn't something he could usually do, because despite housing the soul of an ancient kitsune, he did actually have a human body. But he could "borrow" some of his predecessor's physical traits if he chose to, and he'd been using that ability for most of the morning to gather intel. And the thing was, when he passed by the building, casually so as not to appear as though he were listening, he heard a breath. There was someone inside.

And for some reason that someone had been sequestered away from everyone else, against their will if the nails were any indication.

So that was another strange thing.

Then, there were the three cranes he'd met. This morning, soon after they'd woken around 11, they had left on wing, saying only that they would be fishing in the marsh before leaping off the dock, instantly taking the form of three giant red-crowned cranes and flying out of sight to the south. It was now nearing four in the afternoon and they had still not returned. Ashi, obviously the oldest and the leader of them (although "leader" was perhaps too strong a word for the lethargic middle-aged man), was an enigma. When Kurama had asked him about the empty houses, the youkai had told him simply that "the others left." When pressed (gently, the avatar didn't want to arouse suspicion by being too curious), he could provide no further explanation. Kumo and Nami were no more forthcoming and had the same kind of dazed manner as the older crane. And he hadn't really noticed it last night, but in the daylight all three of them had kind of a round figure, bellies appearing almost distended under the faded gray and blue kimonos. But again, maybe that's just what cranes always looked like. All of these details coupled with the disturbing scene they'd witnessed yesterday when that bird had thrown itself into the ocean in a suicide dive had him very concerned, indeed.

The only scenario he could come up with to fit all of these clues was that the crane village had been swept with some kind of contagious disease and that they were looking at the last survivors, having quarantined the sick in the communal building, only one of which was still clinging to life inside. The distended stomachs and even the lethargy could be the first symptoms. However, there were some key issues with this theory. One, that he detected with his preternatural olfactory sense no hint of death in the village and no hint of sickness on the three cranes. Two, that the breath he had heard beyond the walls of the building at the center of the village had sounded healthy as well, not at all strained or indicating discomfort.

So that was a dead end for now, it would seem, at least until some new evidence presented itself to him. Still, the possibility made him anxious. If it was a disease it could very well be contagious to humans, namely himself and Kagome.

Turning his mind's eye back to what usually occupied it these days, he considered the miko who was currently fishing on the west side of the village. It would seem that sleeping in was going around today because she hadn't emerged from the women's residence until after 2 in the afternoon. He'd been a little worried, but remembered Hiei mentioning that she'd need to get more sleep than usual to recover from the unprecedented outpouring of holy reiki she'd performed several days ago. Although he would have preferred to have let her get that sleep she needed before now, their urgency for water had simply been too great. So after he'd assured himself that she was only slumbering deeply, he'd proceeded to sniff around the village and the surrounding marsh area, never out of earshot, looking for any more clues.

When she'd woken, Kagome had apparently taken only enough time to change before exiting the women's residence swiftly and marching to the nearest open edge of the dock with her bow like she was on a mission. Startled by her sudden appearance and the fact that she didn't even stop to get her bearings in the village or ascertain his location, he'd watched with interest from where he stood at the other end of the walkway that ran through the center of the village and connected the parallel east and west docks. She had stood with her back to him and he observed as she strung an arrow, took aim, and after a few moments in which she seemed to be following the movement of something in the water, shot the arrow straight down into the marsh.

He actually heard it hit something and couldn't help but give a surprised little bark of laughter at her obvious marksmanship. He'd also couldn't help the bitter, sneaking thought that surfaced in his mind that if he'd given her a bow when he'd had her trapped down there in those caves all those years ago things probably would have turned out a lot better for her. Never mind the rational part of him that knew she still wouldn't' have escaped alive, whether or not he was dead and whether or not she could ever assuage his guilt with an arrow to the heart.

But, how now was she going to retrieve her prize? The avatar had watched as she grabbed onto something and began pulling it up and he realized she had tied a thin little rope to the arrow before she'd shot it and now she was reeling it back in. He'd shaken his head before continuing down the east dock where the cranes had departed hours before to keep an eye on the horizon for anything unusual while he kept his ears on the woman fishing.

However, he had been sitting here contemplating things for long enough now, he thought, and he was becoming restless waiting for the cranes to return. He briefly reconsidered trying to make contact with whomever was locked inside the communal building while the cranes were gone, but the person didn't seem to be in distress and he didn't want to show his hand just yet. He didn't want to let on to any of them, including the one quarantined, until they made the first move. It was a strategy that had served him well in both his lives. So, he decided it was time to discuss their situation and what meager information he'd been able to gather this morning with Kagome and he stood and made his way across the village to her, listening intently again as he passed by the boarded up building and finding no change in the occupant's apparent state.

When he found Kagome she was sitting on the edge of the dock, her bow, a couple of arrows and a rope, and the canteen beside her. She was holding something in her hands but he couldn't see what just yet, having approached her from behind. He immediately noticed the pink irritated patches of skin on her shoulders. It looked like a strangely patterned sunburn. Then, he realized why he was seeing the burns for the first time: she was wearing only a camisole and a pair of tight, black athletic shorts. It was the warmest time of the day on the marsh, about 25º C under the cloudless sky, and she'd apparently worked up a sweat drawing her bow and pulling in fresh seafood for over an hour now. Her lovely, toned shoulders glistened in the sunlight and short, loose strands of her hair, in its customary loose braid and resting over one shoulder, clung to her damp skin at the base of her neck. Leaned forward as she was, the thin, white material of her top had ridden up on her trim waist, leaving her lower back and two delicious little dimples exposed. He couldn't help but stare for a moment, catching a glimpse of something black on her skin peaking out from under the bottom of the cami on her left side. Was that another tattoo?

Kagome, feeling his footsteps through the boards on which she sat, twisted around on the dock to look up at him and before he could stop it a laugh had escaped Kurama's lips. It was a crab she'd been holding in her hands, blue and tan speckled and about the size of a dinner plate and missing most of its legs and meaty parts. She looked to have been caught off guard, stormy blue eyes and coal black lashes wide with surprise, cheeks round with crabmeat, apparently, and her lips and chin splattered with bits of the unfortunate creature. Her face flushed red and she swallowed her mouthful, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth. "Kurama!" she said, surprised and embarrassed to have been caught eating so messily. There just really wasn't any neat way to eat a raw, whole crab with your bare hands. Somehow, though, she doubted that would pass for an excuse if her mother were here.

"I'm sorry I startled you," Kurama said, trying to keep the humorous smile off his face and pretend he hadn't just all-out laughed at her a moment ago.

"Oh, no, you didn't, I just… um-" and she looked sheepishly down at the front of her shirt and her legs splattered with crab and the impressive mound of crustacean carcasses peaking out of the water meters below her feet. Kurama spotted it and his eyebrows shot up into his bangs. "I was hungry," she finished lamely. The avatar gave her a look. _Indeed._

The miko returned his look sheepishly and then offered him a crab leg. He smiled in thanks. He hadn't had anything to eat yet, actually. He'd had too much on his mind and too much to investigate this morning to worry about food. So he took a seat next to her and ate the freshest Makai crabs he'd ever had.

While they ate, they talked. Kagome explained to him that Dr. Tik Tik had told her that she would be very hungry and sleepy after putting out so much reiki at once, embarrassed both by her voracious appetite and the fact that she had somehow managed to sleep for twelve hours in a strange, suspicious little village when she was supposed to be "keeping her eyes open." Kurama, of course, was understanding and so they moved on to more important matters. He told her about what he'd been doing this morning while she slept and the cranes were away.

"I kinda noticed the fact that there was no one else here but us, but I kinda figured it was midday and maybe they were all out finding food and water or something. I don't really know what a crane youkai does all day, and to be honest I was so hungry I just didn't think much of it," she said, blushing again.

Kurama nodded. "I looked inside each of them. They all looked well lived-in, only recently vacated."

"I wonder what could drive what had to be 90% of the village to leave their homes?" Kagome asked, standing with her bow and roped arrow again, having spotted a crab in the shallow water below. Kurama could see now that one end of the long rope she'd cleverly tied to the dock through a natural knot hole in the wood so that it wouldn't fall into the marsh. The miko expertly notched her arrow and pulled back the string in one fluid motion, the wood creaking audibly under the strain of the draw. He held his breath as she took aim and with a _swoosh_ and a _thud_ she'd speared another hefty crab. She crouched to grab the rope and start pulling in her prize. Kurama couldn't help but notice how much definition she had in her legs and shoulders.

"Where did you learn to do that?" it wasn't what he'd meant to say, but it was what he'd been thinking.

"Hm? Oh, I saw a little boy doing it once in a village on a river," she explained, pulling up the crab and yanking the arrow out of its carapace before taking her seat again and handing it to Kurama. He took it and started breaking off legs for them both to eat. "It was winter and we were passing through. They had this little dock that went out over a shallow, rocky part of the river and he was standing out there shooting fish. The ice over the rocks was paper thin so the arrow went right through. I asked him if he could show me how and he did." She smiled with the memory. "Toru was his name. He was really good, especially to be so young. See, you've got to compensate for the weight of the rope…" She had a faraway look, as though she were remembering that centuries-gone boy and the village that was worlds and eras away now. "Well, anyway, I was looking around the women's residence after I woke up and I found these arrows and rope and it came back to me all of a sudden."

"Clever boy," Kurama smiled. "Sorry to get off topic, I just had never seen that before."

Kagome shrugged. "I picked up a few useful skills in the Feudal Era." They were quiet for a few moments. Then, Kagome cleared her throat. "Where do you think they get their water? We're going to need to leave here soon, most likely. We need to figure out where to go."

"We can try asking Ashi when they get back, but I get the feeling he won't be much help."

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"I talked to him this morning before they all flew off. He didn't know much of anything, or at least wasn't willing to tell me if he did. There's something strange about them… lethargic, dazed or something. Maybe that's how they usually are, but… It seems off to me," he said.

"Ashi did come off a little bird-brained last night, but… Do you think they had something to do with everyone else disappearing?"

"I don't know. It's possible… There's something else weird. I didn't notice it last night, but they all have round stomachs. They don't look natural. So much so that it made me think that perhaps it is a contagious disease that has spread through the village."

The miko gave this point serious consideration, because that was a possibility that she hadn't thought of and if it turned out to be true, they could be sitting in the hot pot right now and not even know it. "Wouldn't we have seen bodies or graves or something? Some indication that a lot of people had died here recently?" She frowned when that brought to mind countless images of fresh mass graves she'd seen in war-torn ancient Japan.

"Not if the progression of the disease culminates in flight and suicide. Remember the bird we saw drown itself?" he reminded her gravely.

She suddenly looked a lot more serious than she had moments ago. "Kurama, this could be bad. This could be _really_ bad. If that's the case and whatever it is that killed these people is contagious to humans… there's no way. We've slept in their beds, we've drank their water… We're out in the middle of _nowhere_. We'd never make it out of this marsh alive. And then, even if it's not contagious to humans we'd be carriers. We could risk spreading it beyond the marsh, we could take it all the way back to the inner territories!" Kagome was getting ahead of herself now, and she was starting to get a little flustered. The possibilities were suddenly overwhelming. "What if the cranes don't come back? What if they went to the sea like the other one we saw? We could be waiting around here, exposing ourselves further to this disease!"

"Kagome," the avatar said gently, laying a hand on her arm to draw her attention away from that train of thought. She looked over to him with worried eyes. "We don't know yet that that is what happened here. We could be getting ahead of ourselves. Like you said, we've already drank the water and slept in their beds. If we were going to be exposed to something, it has already happened. It does no good to fret over it now. We cannot leave the village yet; we have no idea which way to go to get out of the marsh or how far we'd have to go. All we can do now is wait for the cranes to get back and try to figure out our next move then," he explained calmly.

And when he laid it out like that, well, it did help calm her down a little.

But there was one point that he hadn't revealed yet to her: the person in the communal building. He knew why he was hesitating. Because he (or some part of him) had known her for over four hundred years, and albeit he had only seen her in one very narrow ray of light in the spectrum of her experience, he knew that she would want to try to talk to the person in the boarded up building. Because she would assume that person was in need of help, and she was a protector.

And, if he were honest with himself, he had some misgivings about that as well. He knew what his mother would say was the _right_ thing to do. But he wasn't willing to risk his or Kagome's safety to _possibly_ help a stranger, even if Kagome was willing to risk her's. It could just as easily be that the one in the building was patient zero, or that they were in some advanced, dangerous state of this disease. It could be any number of inconceivable possibilities. They simply didn't have enough information to make such a bold move, in his opinion. If they tried to seek information from the stranger in the community center, then that was another loose end. If they didn't agree to let the person out, perhaps the prisoner would threaten to tell the cranes that the newcomers had talked to them and make up any number of things to turn the cranes against them.

However, it could be that the three cranes wouldn't return at all. They could have succumbed to the same tragic fate as that bird they'd seen yesterday. In that case, it would be practical to exploit that particular route of information. And the sun was getting low in the sky…

The decision, however, was made for him.

Kagome squinted at something over his head and Kurama looked over his shoulder to see the cranes approaching in the classic V formation from the northeast. Kurama noted immediately that the bird in the lead, Ashi most likely, faltered in his descent. The two mostly humans stood slowly to face them as the three birds landed heavily at the end of the west side walkway, transforming effortlessly from bird to humanoid in the moment before their bare feet touched the dock. Waiting to see what they would do, the couple tried their best to look nonchalant.

The cranes didn't immediately do anything. Kagome, who was getting her first good look at them in the daylight, observed them with interest from her position just behind Kurama. The three of them stood clustered together at the end of the dock, looking at them speculatively with black, beady eyes and heads turned slightly to the side in a distinctly avian manner. Their posture was a little stiff and unnatural for their humanoid appearance and their movements were somewhat jerky. Enflamed by the crimson light of the setting sun, their "almost human but not quite" features took on a sinister glow. The miko immediately chastised herself for feeling a little frightened of them. Just because they looked and acted a little strange didn't make them guilty of anything. This could all just be a weird misunderstanding on their part. But she did notice what Kurama had pointed out about their stomaches; they were unmistakably swollen. If they'd been women Kagome would swear they were heavily pregnant.

The silence was getting a little awkward. Kagome cleared her throat and stepped forward to stand beside her companion. "Good day of fishing?" she asked conversationally, raising her voice to make sure they could hear her from where they stood at the end of the dock meters away.

Silence. Ashi blinked, cocked his head.

She fidgeted anxiously. Kurama tried, "We thank you for your hospitality. We hope we haven't inconvenienced you."

When Ashi finally spoke, Kagome almost sighed in relief. "Fish, yes. Pulled many fish," he said, seeming to ignore Kurama's statement. Then he tilted his head back on his slightly too-long neck and made a motion with his beaky mouth that reminded her of a bird swallowing its prey whole. It just looked creepy on a humanoid.

"I'm glad. We had some luck fishing ourselves… Um, well, we don't want to be a burden on you." Kagome looked to Kurama, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. Where did he want to go from here?

So, he stepped in again. "We've rested and refreshed ourselves sufficiently. If you'll tell us how to get out of the marsh, we'll be on our way." His first priority was determining their escape route. Second was uncovering whatever these cranes were hiding so that they could figure out how to proceed.

Nami and Kumo looked to Ashi and Ashi looked out to the marsh. It was a long moment before he answered, so long that they thought he wouldn't. "Tiger's on the marsh. She hunts under the moon."

The two humans shared a look. Kurama said, "We'll wait till morning to leave, then. We came in from the southeast. How far inland would we need to go to get out of the marsh?"

"The marsh is big," Ashi answered unhelpfully.

Nami, the shorter of the two younger cranes, cocked his head to the side, blinked. "The women's map," he said as though he were just remembering it.

Ashi seemed to consider that for a moment. Then, "Yes, the map. The map shows you where to go."

"You have a map!" Kagome jumped on that possibility. She bounced on the balls of her feet when she said it, unable to contain her excitement. "Please, I'd love to take a look at it!"

"You can see the map." Ashi started abruptly down the walkway toward them, the others following, and Kurama and Kagome followed him as he led them back to the storage building. Kurama studiously avoided looking at the boarded up building across from them as they all entered the storage building. However, he didn't miss Kagome's furtive appraisal of the nails in the sliding door or the boards nailed over the windows as though it was the first time she was noticing them. It probably was. She wasn't nearly as observant as he thought she should be.

When they were all inside, red sunlight pouring through the windows to light the small, dusty room, Ashi motioned Nami toward an old wooden trunk in the corner. The younger youkai went to it and, after rummaging for a moment, pulled out a rolled piece of parchment tied with a string. He brought it back to them and, after looking to Ashi for confirmation, handed it to Kagome. She immediately dropped to her knees and rolled the yellowed map out on the floor in front of her, holding the ends down under her palms. Kurama stepped up behind her to look down over her shoulder. Nami dropped to one knee facing the miko on the other side of the map. Out of the corner of his eye the avatar saw Ashi step back towards the doorway and Kumo step forward in the same moment, blocking his view.

Keeping his ears focused behind him on the eldest crane inching backwards, he observed Kagome with the map. She had put her right knee on the edge to free her hand. With her fingers she traced over the image of the coast and immense marshland. There were half a dozen small red dots scattered in the marsh and the key indicated these were crane villages. However, they weren't labeled individually. "Which one are we?" she asked Nami, indicating the red dots.

Nami blinked and turned his head to the side, cornering his eyes down at the map. "I don't know. We can't read it."

The miko gave him a disbelieving look. "What good is a map if you can't read it?" Maybe that came off rude, but really. She was starting to lose patience with these birds.

The youkai just blinked, his expression blank and his beaky mouth pursed. "We can't read it."

"Yes, I got that." She blew up through her bangs in exasperation. "Ok, ok, let's think about this," and she poured over the map, tracing her fingers south down the coastline and muttering under her breath.

Behind him Kurama heard Ashi step quietly out of the doorway.

"Now here's where the river flows into the estuary. I'll bet that's where you get your water from, isn't it?" Kagome asked Nami. At that moment Kumo decided to enter the conversation. He crouched next to Kagome, leaving Kurama the only one still standing in the room.

"The river. Yes, water comes from the river," Kumo agreed.

Kurama reached down to brush his hand over Kagome's shoulder. She looked back at him and he gestured toward the door. Glancing around, she noticed Ashi's absence and dipped her chin in understanding. She would figure out this map with the younger cranes and he would follow Ashi.

And so, while the miko had both of them distracted, Kurama employed some of the finely honed stealth skills he'd inherited from his predecessor and slipped out the door without their notice. Outside the light was fading. The sun was nearly down over the horizon now, leaving the clouds streaked deep violet and crimson and the eastern half of the sky deepening into the aubergine of the Makai night. Casting his gaze up and down the walkway, he just caught the sight of the Ashi's back as the crane leapt down over the edge of the east side dock. With his enhanced hearing he heard a splash when the youkai landed in the shallow water below.

Pausing only long enough to listen in on the mysterious occupant of the communal building and ascertaining no apparent change in their condition, he stalked silently down the walkway, harking back to a lifetime of creeping and thieving as a wild kitsune, until he reached the east dock. There, he dropped to his belly and crawled to the edge to avoid silhouetting himself against the backdrop of the setting sun behind him. Peeking over the edge, he saw Ashi wading out into the marsh in the direction of the coast, still in his humanoid form. Where was he going? And why wasn't he flying to get there?

When he thought the bird was far enough out so that he wouldn't hear him, Kurama found a support beam and lowered himself feet-first over the edge, gripping the smooth wood of the beam with his bare soles. His limbs warmed as youki flooded through them, lending him a strength and stealth far beyond the abilities of any human. When his feet entered the water at the bottom, they didn't make a sound.

Taking only a moment to check his surroundings with his sixth sense, he hunched and crept like the fox he'd once been east after the crane.

He had some misgivings about leaving Kagome alone with Nami and Kumo, but it was necessary. Besides that, despite the unwarranted an unwanted feelings of protectiveness toward her, he knew the young miko could take care of herself. Yusuke had seen to that, and if nothing else the toushin could be trusted to take his training very seriously.

What he was more concerned with at the moment was getting to the bottom of the mystery of the crane village. Where were all the other inhabitants? Why were these three acting so strange, and who did they have boarded up in the communal building? Besides the insatiable curiosity common to kitsune, it was imperative that they figure out if they were in danger of taking whatever it was that was going on here back with them to the inner territories, and beyond to Ningenkai.

So, he followed Ashi at a safe distance as the crane waded through the hip-high grass and the shallow, warm water into the night. He was beginning to the think the crane was determined to walk all the way to the coast, to drown himself perhaps like the other crane they'd seen, so determined in his path he seemed to be, when the crane suddenly stopped.

Crouching in the reeds, Kurama watched with interest as the crane stood very still, seeming to wait for something.

Two full minutes passed, insects chirping in the distance, clouds drifting overhead, silent sentries dampening the light of the half moon and casting the marsh in an eery, quiet darkness. Still, the crane stood, tall and exposed out in the open. Hadn't he mentioned a tiger?

Then, from the east, the direction of the coast, came a light. Only, it wasn't from the sky. It seemed to be moving through marsh, lighting the tall, rippling reeds with a pale blue luminescence from below.

And still Ashi stood still, seemingly unconcerned, as the strange light moved ever closer until it closed in on him.


	15. Chapter 14: Yearning

RATING: M for Mature

AN: Well, I know you've all had to wait much too long for this chapter, and I apologize for the delay. Work is crazy right now and this chapter was a little difficult to get the way I wanted it. Again, I'd like to remind you that this story is rated M and this chapter will be our first real taste of it. You've been warned.

As we are so far into our story and I continue to realize just how many of my ideas I've pulled from previous readings, I feel I must acknowledge some of the sources of my personal fanon. I pull many ideas, details, terms, points of interest, etc. from the stories I adored years ago when I first got into fan fiction. Some of them are Deviant Nature's "By Any Other Name," madmiko's and ookami-chan's various works, ImaniJoain's "Second Alliance," and many others that I can't recall specifically but that I'm sure have influenced this story and my other series "Said the Joker to the Thief." Speaking of, I have been struck with inspiration for StJttT and I will probably update that one next. If you haven't looked at it, please do. It's also Kur/Kag, but more lighthearted and I take some artistic liberty with Youko and Kurama. In that series, they are a split avatar and two separate entities in the same body. Hilarity ensues.

If you're interested, Raul Ferrando's song "Yearning" was a large portion of the inspiration for some scenes in this chapter.

I cannot thank you enough for your continued support and feedback. Please enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving, to my American readers!

 **Soul Magic**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Yearning**

* * *

Kurama watched from a distance of about fifteen meters, crouched among the tall reeds as the light closed in on the waiting crane. The soft blueish glow was closing in fast but the youkai remained motionless and calm. The crane glanced back over his shoulder and, to the avatar's shock, looked directly at him before turning his black eyes back to the light before him.

He was momentarily thrown off guard. Ashi knew he was there, knew he had followed him. He had been lead here purposely. And that meant that this was a trap.

Immediately, he considered fleeing back to the village. Kagome could be in trouble, too. He didn't know why yet, but they had obviously been separated. After debating briefly, he grudgingly decided that the rational thing to do was to trust Yusuke's training and let the miko handle her end of whatever was about to go down here, and for him to handle this end. After all, he'd know if she were in trouble when she opened a seal; he'd be able to sense the sudden spillage of holy reiki. So, he would stay put.

Kurama, being the vessel of the entirety of the ancient Youko's experience, never made a move without having first planned for all conceivable contingencies and examined all angles of the situation. His strategy, per usual, was to play along until he had gathered all the facts, and then act accordingly. He watched.

All around the unmoving crane, the water stilled like glass. The light moved beneath the surface until it stopped before him, casting his avian features in stark relief. Kurama, to get a better view of what was happening, had crept around to the right of the crane and could see a form beneath the shallow water. Only a meter before the bird, something broke the surface.

It was a humanoid youkai, a slender female form that rose out of the still, mirrored surface of the water somehow without creating a single ripple. He had never seen anything like this creature. Completely nude, every inch of her body was clothed only in fine, iridescent scales. Instead of ears and hair, clusters of delicate, colorful fins flowed from her head, suspended in the air, rippling as though manipulated by currents of water. Another cluster of fins floated around her hips and down over her thighs like a ruffled skirt. Though her ethereal, alien beauty was undeniable, the most striking thing about her was the colorful patterns of rings and stripes covering every inch of her, undulating constantly with intense bioluminescence. The display reminded him of an octopus he'd seen once in an aquarium as a child.

She only had eyes for Ashi. Or, perhaps more accurately, Ashi's swollen abdomen. With delicate, webbed hands she reached out to him. She pulled the sash that held his kimono closed and the thin fabric parted and fell away from his stomach. Wearing nothing beneath it, he was left bare before her. From his position, Kurama could see a small wound on the underside of the crane's distended belly. It looked fairly new and was red and puffy like it was infected. The crane said nothing and made no move as she laid her palms gently over his round belly. And something moved beneath her hands as though responding to her touch, straining under the flesh of the poor male's stomach. There was something alive inside him. Kurama could only describe the expression on the female's face as reverent.

Then, she spoke. Her voice sounded like the ocean, like the rush of waves flowing and retreating over the sand. "You have done your part well, little crane. Your journey is almost over," she whispered to Ashi. Kurama had no trouble making it out. His brow furrowed as he considered her. What was going on here?

And then, suddenly, her eyes were on him. She stepped away from the crane and started toward Kurama where he was still crouched amongst the reeds. Somehow, her steps never moved the water and it looked as though she were wading ankle-deep across a mirror, the glassy surface of the water flawlessly reflecting her glowing form. The iridescent, gauzy fins floated around her head and Kurama couldn't help but be drawn in by her large, pupil-less black eyes. She was drawing nearer, her steps steady and measured, and when she was only ten meters away Kurama slowly rose to his feet.

The creature smiled, exposing sharp, white teeth. The expression looked unnatural on her alien features. "My lovely little human… you are so far from home," she said in that low, soft voice. And for several long moments she kept his unblinking gaze, patterns of light radiating down her body in waves, fins floating gracefully around her naked form and so mesmerized by the display was he that, despite himself, Kurama found it difficult to lift his hand to the back of his neck under his ponytail and scratch a spot just inside his hairline. It felt like he had weights tied to his arms. He let his hand fall back to his side and stilled completely, feeling an inexplicable _need_ to drink in every inch of this creature.

And she began dancing.

Slowly, so painfully slowly, she dragged one delicate foot around her in a half circle, standing back on that food behind her and undulated her hips provocatively. Gracefully, she twirled her webbed hands before her, around one another in a way that reminded him of the ebb and flow of the tides he had lived by for the past several days as he had traversed the beach. Her black eyes seemed to stay on him even as she turned her face up to her hands now above her head. And her eyes were on him again as she lowered her hands, her hips slithering to a rhythm he'd swear he could hear. She was another step closer. He felt heavier.

And then she _shuddered_ all over, the patterns rippling over her body in a dazzling display of light and the shuffling of her scales sounded like rain on the forest canopy. Another step forward, and her hips quivered and her arms moved gracefully around her, accentuating the hypnotic movements of her body and the floating fins around her undulating form. She was closing in, and he knew he should be trying to move away from her, but Kurama just could not move his feet. He felt like he had the weight of an ocean on him. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

She was a scarce few meters away now.

And then…

Suddenly, quite shockingly, it got weird.

 _Something …_ parted the folds between her legs and rose steadily out of her body and stood erect before her. It was… a pale pink, long, thin tube that ended in a sharp, hollow point. And, unlike every inch of her visible flesh, this _thing_ was not bioluminescent. Still, as though it were just another part of the dance, she continued to step and slither toward him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a naked Ashi drop to his hands and knees. The crane howled in pain and his stomach quivered. His flesh erupted into white feathers and he began shifting back into his primal avian form, flapping and writhing in the shallow water, screeching agony from his bird's throat. He turned on his side, one wing splashing weakly over his prone body and the swollen red wound on his stomach heaved and trickled as if it would erupt.

And it all clicked. Kurama knew what this was.

…But he still couldn't move.

* * *

…

 _A smell._

 _It was… lavender._

 _Warm lavender. Mm… that meant it was summer._

 _For a few moments Kagome laid with her eyes closed, savoring that sweet, familiar smell._

 _It was a warm night. The roots of a giant oak tree cradled her like the arms of an ancient mother and grass playfully tickled her toes. And oh, that sweet lavender. The entire mountain was absolutely dripping with fresh blooms of them. She was young and in love and the whole world was a field of flowers, as far as she was concerned._

 _He was up there above her head somewhere in the branches. He was always there, watching over her, keeping her safe. If she opened her eyes and looked up, just by the light of the moon she knew she'd see the familiar red of his haori hidden amongst the leaves. She wondered what her family was doing back home and her heart didn't ache quite so badly because here, Mama was only a well's depth away._

 _"You're awake. Come eat dinner," a male voice instructed her with authority._

 _But it wasn't Inuyasha's voice. It wasn't a gruff, boyish command. This voice was like cold honey. This voice could have swindled the devil himself out of his throne._

 _Kagome opened her eyes to the darkness of the cave that was really a cage. The orange glow of the stove cast sharp shadows across the ceiling. The constant, reassuring weight of the little companion vine moved across her neck where it usually liked to be, offering what meager, silent comfort it could. She rolled over on her futon and found the owner of the voice. Youko stood before the wood stove, crushing sprigs of lavender in his hands and dropping them into the pot of water she kept on the hot surface for just that purpose. He eyed her curiously with the golden eyes and flickering silver ears that weren't Inuyasha's._

 _And there were no trees and no grass. And the warmth was from the fire, not a sun-soaked meadow still radiating heat after dark. And her family was centuries away again._

 _She felt tears sting the back of her eyes, but she swallowed the feeling and stood from her bed. He was waiting for her at the table. He'd laid out a steaming pot of fish stew and noodles. It smelled wonderful. Seafood was her favorite. "I'm not hungry," she told him without making eye contact and crossed to the stairwell, taking up her bucket as she went. "I'm going to get water."_

 _"You have plenty of water," he told her, watching her with cold curiosity._

 _"I need to walk," she answered instead, already slipping on her shoes and beginning down the steps. The truth was the thought of sitting across from him right now made her sick to her stomach. She needed a few minutes alone to get herself under control. Some days it was easy. Some days she could bury herself in books and forget for a while where she was. Some days she could even cope with it in a healthy manner, finding comfort in artistic outlets like painting and writing. But today… Today wasn't one of those days. Today was one of those days where she just couldn't swallow the bitterness._

 _She hated this place. She hated her life. She hated the Shikon no Tama, the ancient well, and whatever kami had let news of the jewel cross the ears of Youko Kurama. She hated Youko for imprisoning her and Inuyasha for letting it happen…_

 _She hated_ herself _for letting it happen._

 _And now, at the bottom of the stairs, she let all that darkness and hatred well up inside her and spill out of her and down her cheeks. She cried._

 _Because she hated herself for letting it happen._

* * *

"Hey! Hey, girl! Wake up!"

A voice from somewhere far away. Her cheeks were cold and wet.

"Wake up!"

Droplets of water hit her face and Kagome winced, surfacing fully into consciousness.

She turned her face away from the intrusion, bringing her hands up to swipe away the moisture. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Her head was throbbing.

"Girl! You're awake!" that voice again.

"'gome," she muttered drowsily, getting her hands under her to sit herself up.

"What?"

" _Kagome_. My name is Kagome, not girl," she answered irritably.

"Oh," said the voice.

Having gotten into an upright position, the miko looked to the source of the voice. It was a crane. She had the same red patch and white feathers as the others she'd met, and a little sprig of wilted, albeit fragrant lavender behind her ear. She was slender and graceful but a little taller than the three males, and wore the same soft grey and blue kimono. The youkai blinked her large, black eyes, eyeing the miko curiously. A pot of water sat on the floor next to her where she knelt a few feet away, the tips of her fingers hovering over it. "Are you a human?" she asked Kagome unexpectedly.

And Kagome nodded distractedly, still trying to figure out exactly where she was. Inside a large, darkened building, it looked like. No windows. Only the orange light of an oil lamp pushed back the darkness. She suddenly realized where she was. "This is the communal building, isn't it? The one that's boarded up. But how did I…" And then the other shoe dropped. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with indignant rage. "That- jerk! Oh that- Agh!"

The crane watched her with intense curiosity as she continued to mutter angrily to herself. "Are you ok?" she asked the miko.

"No, I'm not ok!" Kagome snapped, holding her hands to the back of her head where the waves of pain originated and cringing. Yep, there was a big lump there. "I can't believe I let-! As soon as I let my guard down!" she was so angry with herself she couldn't think straight. In her flustered state she rose to her feet quickly, immediately regretting it when her vision started to swim. She swayed and the crane rose to her feet to help her. Before she could touch her, Kagome was backing away, waving her away. The backs of her knees hit something and before she knew it her bottom hit a surface. She looked down dazedly to find she was sitting on a wooden barrel. The crane youkai stood a few feet away, looking a little lost.

The crane observed her in silence for a few moments. Then, timidly, "Why are you here? Did… did she bring you here?"

The miko, head still throbbing and thoughts addled, focused on the strange question. "She? Who is she?"

Looking embarrassed, the crane waved away the question. "Never mind… How long have you been here?"

Kagome was starting to get irritated. In fact, she was getting downright mad. "Look, I'm not answering any more questions until you tell me who you are and what the hell is going on in this village. And why I was just knocked out and shoved into a boarded up building!"

The crane's eyes widened in surprise. She'd always heard humans were unpredictable and volatile, but… "My name is Kaigara." She figured her safest bet was diplomacy.

That seemed to calm the little human woman down a little. "Kaigara, ok. So, what _is_ going on here? Those three outside are acting weird and I swear I saw Nami's stomach move before-! …Well, before Kumo knocked me out," she added bitterly.

Kaigara raised a slender hand to her mouth in shock. "Three? Did you say there are only three cranes left in the village?"

"Yea, that's all we've seen," Kagome answered hesitantly.

The crane looked stricken. She looked down at the floor after a moment, seeming to be thinking deeply. "Three. Only _three_ left," she said as if she couldn't believe it.

The miko, having calmed down a bit from her outburst earlier and sensing the other woman's disturbed state, stood slowly from the barrel she'd been sitting on and moved quietly over to the crane. She stood with one hand clasped over her heart and a faraway look in her eyes. Kagome laid a hand very lightly on the youkai's shoulder, not wanting to startle her. "Kaigara, why are there only three left? What happened?" she asked her softly.

Kaigara turned her face away from her but Kagome didn't miss the way her cheeks flushed as red as the distinct patch of skin over her forehead. In profile, she stared ruefully down at the floor, away from the light of the lamp, and the miko thought she looked almost… ashamed. Or guilty maybe. Her gaze softened. "Listen, I don't know why they threw me in here, but I've got a… friend out there and I need to know if he's in trouble. So, I need to know what's going on here," she finished gently, willing the young woman to open up to her.

And that caught the crane's attention. She glanced up at her through her lashes, bashfully. "Your… your friend. He is… he is a human too?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, we got separated."

Kaigara seemed to consider that. A look of pain suddenly twisted her features. "I never meant to hurt anyone, I really didn't…"

The miko waited with baited breath, afraid to break the little olive branch the youkai had offered. When it seemed like she couldn't continue, the miko stepped closer to her and tried to catch her eyes. "If we work together we can get out of here, but I need to know what happened. Kaigara… does it have something to do with the 'she' you mentioned earlier?"

Thin lips pursed, the crane's cheeks betrayed her shame. "I… yes. I mean-," and suddenly she didn't know what to do with her hands. They fluttered aimlessly before her and she pulled away from Kagome to pace away from the lamp light and back anxiously. The miko didn't push her. Finally, she started to talk. "I think-… I mean I _know-…_ Let me just start at the beginning. I met this… person. Well, _woman_ ," and here her cheeks flushed red again and her eyes darted away from Kagome, "No, no, it started before that… Last winter…it was worse than usual." She swallowed thickly like the words were stuck in her throat. "A sickness moved through the village… we lost some of our youngest and oldest to it. Seven in all."

It took her a moment to gather herself. She looked down at her empty arms sadly, then seemed to come back to the present. Kaigara took a deep breath and continued, pacing once again. "Spring came. It was a good season. Good rain for most of it… On a routine journey to the river for water, we were attacked by an unknown enemy. We lost eight of our women that day." Her voice was gruff with emotion. She swallowed.

Kagome wanted to reach out to her, but sensed that she had more to say and held off. Finally, after a few long moments of silence in which the crane struggled to continue, she did. "It was a very difficult time… Then, only a few days after that, we suffered a tiger attack. She took two of our men before sundown while they filled their bellies for their children," she spat this last part bitterly, hatefully. "The men can't defend themselves like we can. They're pretty useless, actually…" she snorted derisively, then immediately looked embarrassed. She cleared her throat. Softly, she continued, "Well, by then people started talking about a curse…"

Kaigara looked too pained to continue for a moment, but it passed. "A lot of people were wanting to leave. That's when… well, that's when I met _her_ …the _sea dragon_ … I saw her on the beach. I fly down there sometimes to be alone… and to think. Well about two months or so ago I met this woman and she… she was really hurt. I… helped her." She trailed off, becoming still and looking into the distance as though she were seeing that moment again. Softly, Kagome encouraged her to continue. Kaigara blushed deeply and started pacing again. "And… we talked for a long time. It was so easy to talk to her… like I'd known her my whole life. I told her about the village, and…"

Tears welled up in her eyes and Kagome did close the distance between them then, laying a hand softly on the other woman's arm, trying to lend her the strength to go on. "I think she's behind this," she managed to get out in a choked whisper. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks and her beaky lips trembled.

And Kagome understood too well what this young woman was feeling, her fear and guilt that she was responsible for whatever fates had befallen the people of her community was one Kagome felt herself every day of her life. So when the young crane's strength failed her and she dropped to her knees, Kagome knelt with her and put her arm around her shoulders, and although it was awkward with their difference in stature, she lent her what strength she could and let her cry.

After the crane's soft sobs had slowed, Kagome told her, "Kaigara, I think I know kind of how you're feeling. Life is… filled with mistakes, you can't avoid them. No one can…"

"No, you don't understand," Kaigara retorted bitterly, her cheeks flushed with grief and her black eyes glassy with tears, cutting the other woman off before she could finish. "I started it all. Somehow… _I_ am the curse."

The miko gave her a look of disbelief. "What makes you think that?"

It physically pained her to say it, Kagome could see it in her tortured expression. "I-… I'm _different._ "

Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion. "Different? I don't understand."

The young crane waved her hands, at a loss. "I mean- It all started when I… I rejected Kumo's petition for courting."

"Oh… you don't like Kumo?"

"No! I mean- no, not in the way I'm supposed to." She looked lost again. "I just- I'm the only one in the women's residence who didn't _fawn_ over Kumo, and I don't know why he picked _me_ over the others and… well, Yuri wanted him…" she finished sadly. "She wouldn't even talk to me that night… And the next day the first child fell ill."

"Just because you turned down a guy doesn't mean you gave everyone the flu-"

"No, no, you still don't understand. I turned down Kusa and Nami too before him. I wanted someone else-… but she- I mean…" she swallowed, looking helpless, "she didn't want me." And Kagome finally understood. Oh… Oh! Kaigara was picking up again, seeming to gain some strength after finally unburdening herself of the secret she'd spoken to only two other souls in her life. "Everyone already thought I was weird and then I turned down _every_ eligible male in the village and-"

"Ok, it's ok, I think I understand now," the miko told her softly, rubbing her back soothingly. "Listen, Kaigara, how you feel… it's not something you can change. And it's not a choice you made. And it's not something you can be punished for, ok?"

"But-"

"No, I know what I'm talking about, ok? Things just happen and they don't always have a reason. And most of the time, no matter how much you think about 'what if I had done this instead,' there's nothing you could have done to stop it. It just…" she became quieter as though she were imparting a secret as she revealed to the young woman what it had taken her many, many years to come to accept, "It's not fair sometimes. But you just have to keep going. Because it can always get better someday."

And reluctantly, Kaigara nodded. "Ok," she said weakly.

Kagome gave her a few silent moments to recover, and then pressed on with a sense of urgency. Kurama was still out there, after all, with an as yet unknown threat. "So, tell me about this woman you met. What… what makes you think she's done something to your village?"

The young woman looked distraught all over again. "I _know…_ Well… I had been going to the beach to see her for several weeks and every family left with children had fled in that time out of fear of the curse. They migrated to other villages in the marsh. By then it was only me and six of the men left. They can't take care of themselves, the men, they need us to protect them and care for them. So I… I stayed to look after them, and because… I didn't want to leave her… Well, one evening, she followed me back to the village. And in the night I saw her…" Her features twisted with anger. "I saw her _dance_ with Kusa."

"She was… the most _beautiful_ thing I'd ever seen when she danced and… I couldn't _believe_ she would dance with him. I was so…" a sob escaped her. "I was so upset I ran back to my bed and I didn't speak to her again… But then Kusa started acting funny. And his belly grew, and he seemed very uncomfortable. I was worried for him and when he finally let me examine him to see what was wrong… four of the other men grabbed me and threw me into the community building and boarded up all the windows and the door."

"You think she is controlling them somehow?" Kagome responded, encouraging her to continue.

She sighed, "It's the only explanation I can think of. I just can't believe that she'd be capable of something like this… What-… what happened to the others?" she asked softly, hesitantly.

Kagome still didn't understand exactly what this woman was doing to the men of the village and didn't know how she was controlling them, and she wanted to save Kaigara from the knowledge of the crane they'd seen drown himself in the ocean a few days ago. So, for all these reasons she was vague. "I don't know exactly, but… I'm fairly certain they're not alive. I'm sorry…"

Sadly, the young youkai had been expecting this, but a fresh swell of tears rolled down her face nonetheless. She nodded, her lips trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry too, Kagome. Your friend will likely befall the same fate, now…"

But Kagome waved away her concern. "Trust me, Kurama can take care of himself. And for that matter, so can I." She rose to her feet and held her hand out to help Kaigara up. "We're getting out of here."

The young crane looked startled. She cast her gaze around the room, wondering where the other woman saw an exit where she didn't. "How…?"

The miko, having overcome her dizziness from earlier, although still suffering somewhat of a headache, was already padding softly across the polished floorboards to stand before the door. "Through the door," she said simply.

Kaigara gave her a disbelieving look as she stood sizing up the door. "They nailed it back shut after they threw you in here," she explained.

Kagome had both hands on the finger holds of the sliding door, tugging at it fruitlessly. She took a step back and rapped on the wood with the knuckles of one hand. It was a large door, very heavy and thick. It would have been difficult for her to have opened on her own even without the nails. Hm… "I don't suppose they left you an ax or something in here, did they?" The crane shook her head and Kagome sighed. "Alright then, I'm gonna try something…" And walked a few paces back away from the door.

Kaigara watched her with interest, wondering what she would do. The miko stilled, breathing deeply, seeming to gather her strength. She flooded her legs with reiki, reinforcing bone and muscle like Yusuke had taught her. Then, quite suddenly, she took off toward the door sprinting. When she was close enough her feet left the ground in a leap, left leg tucked underneath her and her right extended with a flat heel at the door. And she made contact spectacularly.

The thick, resilient wood of the door did nothing but shudder violently under the sudden impact of her full weight on the heel of her right foot. Yusuke had always stressed, _never_ lock your knees, and that bit of wisdom probably saved her from a nasty injury as her leg gave way to the unyielding mass of the door and her body followed, slamming against the wood and crumpling to the ground. Kaigara gasped and rushed to her, kneeling next to the fallen form of the miko. "Are you alright?" she questioned urgently.

Kagome groaned pitifully, lying on her stomach with her left leg tucked awkwardly underneath her. She rolled over onto her back and stretched out her legs. "Ugh, yea, nothing hurt but my pride… and my heel," she complained, sounding quite pained. She slowly sat up and shook her head, wrapping her hands around the throbbing heel and applying pressure. It hurt now, but she knew from experience it would feel a lot worse tomorrow. "I way underestimated that door," she said, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Geez, what an impression she was making on this young youkai who had probably never met another human in her life!

But she knew she only had herself to blame. She'd been so mad at herself for making such a simple mistake as turning her back to Kumo long enough for him to knock her out that she had acted on her anger and made a rash decision. That wasn't her. She was smarter than that. She'd always chastised Inuyasha for letting his anger get away with him, and here she was doing the same thing.

Throwing her long, dark braid back over her shoulder, Kagome looked to the crane. Kaigara shrugged helplessly. "It's oak," she said by way of explanation.

The miko smile somewhat wryly. "Figures," she said, and immediately chastised herself. Sarcasm never helped anything. _'Ok, think Kagome, there has to be some way out of here.'_

She accepted Kaigara's help and regained her footing again, keeping her weight on the balls of her right foot and not on her throbbing heel. She dusted herself off and put the incident behind her, deciding to set about thoroughly inspecting the room like she should have in the first place. She grabbed the lantern from the floor, quietly proud of the way she kept her gait smooth and unaffected by her injury. She circled the large room looking for anything she could use, finding it to be sparsely furnished with a small stove, six low tables with tatami mats placed around them, a barrel of water, and a futon. She looked up into the rafters where she knew there were windows in the darkness. Exactly five exposed beams crossed overhead and each ended below a window. It was difficult to see with only the lamplight, but she thought they were only covered with simple hanging tatami, and then nailed over with boards from the outside. Hm…

Kagome pointed to one of the large, man-sized windows above them. "Have you checked the windows?"

The young crane frowned. "Of course. _I_ can't get through them." And she gave the little miko a look that said quite clearly that she didn't think she could get through them either.

Well, she'd see about that. The way Kagome figured it, the boards they put over the windows wouldn't be nearly as thick as what the door was made of, surely, so maybe she'd be able to break through one of those. She set the lamp down and paced around under one of the beams, judging the distance. Ok, she could do this.

Thanks to the twelve (plus?) hours of sleep she'd gotten last night and the embarrassing number of crabs she'd devoured earlier, Kagome was feeling much more alive than she had in days, and perhaps that sudden burst of energy had also contributed to her previous overestimation of her strength against that door. She wouldn't make that mistake again. Yusuke said "You're always stronger than you think you are, but you'll get yourself killed gettin' cocky." That translated roughly to "Trust in your strength, but be humble." Ok. Right.

She could do that. After spending a moment sizing up the jump, she once again flooded her legs with reiki, powering up her muscles for the jump, ignoring the spike of pain from her bruised heel as she leapt straight up a meter and a half to catch the worn, square wooden edge of the beam. She sent that energy into her arms and shoulders with practiced ease and pulled herself up and over to straddle the beam. It was about the width of her feet side-by-side and a little uncomfortable to be sitting on. She looked down to the crane below her and tried to smile. She didn't know what she'd do if she couldn't get through this window. Well, she could call for help. Kurama said he'd know if she opened a seal…

"I didn't think humans were so strong and agile," Kaigara said matter-of-factly, easily rising to the beam behind Kagome with a graceful leap and a flutter of large white wings Kagome only saw in periphery and which swiftly dissolved back into human appendages upon her landing. She stood a meter behind the miko who still sat straddling the beam uncomfortably in her running shorts.

"Well, most aren't. I'm kind of a special case," she said vaguely. Pushing off with her palms, she smoothly righted herself on the slender wooden platform and began stepping carefully across the length of the beam and to the window. She was thankful she wasn't wearing shoes; it made it easier for her to keep her balance while she crossed. The wood of the beam had been worn smooth and the shallow gouges that decorated every inch of the surface led her to the conclusion that the cranes must use these beams for perches and from their strange placement under the windows, it looked to her like they used the portals as aerial entrances.

"What will you do if we get out of here?" the crane asked her curiously, voice oddly stiff.

Kagome didn't pay her much mind, focusing on keeping the weight off her right heel and maintaining her balance on the beam. "Find Kurama. Hopefully find the sea dragon, if she's done what I think she's done, which is get me out of the way and move in on Kurama like she did the other males in the village. Although, I'm sure she'll have more trouble out of him than she bargained for," she finished, finally reaching the end of the beam.

When she came to the window she found it to have a fairly wide sill large enough for her to stand on when she rolled and pinned up the hanging mat that covered it. Kaigara gave her space and watched from further back on the beam as the little human woman felt around the edges of the wooden planks nailed over the portal. She rapped her knuckles against them, testing their thickness. Just as she thought, they were much thinner and weaker than the heavy sliding door. In fact, she estimated they weren't much thicker than the boards Yusuke had her punch through to work on her reiki control and strengthen her fists. She'd done this at least a hundred times before. Surely she could keep from embarrassing herself again.

Kagome sized up her target and took a grounded stance, left foot before her and right behind her on the beam, gripping with the balls of her feet. Before she could throw the punch, Kaigara called out to her, "Kagome!" The miko stopped immediately, turning her torso back to see the other woman. The crane chewed her lip anxiously and gave her a pained look. "Please… please don't hurt her. I know she's done something terrible, but… please let me talk to her…" she finished weakly. Kagome gave her what she hoped was a meaningful, understanding look and nodded.

Turning her attention back to the task before her, she gathered her reiki in her right leg and arm, pushed off and thrust her right fist toward the center of one board in a controlled, powerful jab, making splendid contact! A thunderous crack echoed throughout the room.

* * *

The woman was before him now, strange threatening appendage brandished before her, her large black, almond-shaped eyes wide and intent on his own, webbed hands coming down gracefully from the last winding vestiges of her seductive dance and reaching out for his shoulders as though she were going to hold him physically in place. He still couldn't will his body to move, as if her hypnotic gaze had drained every ounce of strength from his muscles and was holding him aloft on invisible strings.

Quite suddenly, though, she stopped. "Wha-?" she managed, looking down at her feet where something long and green and thorny had slithered up out of the water to wrap around her ankles and legs. It moved so quickly and viciously that a half a dozen thick tendrils, each armed with a "head" that was a long, green hooked beak formed from highly modified leaves, had already wrapped around her hips and she abruptly retracted her appendage safely back into her body. Thorny vines restrained both her arms and tiny rivulets of electric blue blood trickled from dozens of cuts where thorns had broken the delicate, mesmerizing flesh. Even now, her body continued to pulse with patterns of light, although the colors had changed from soft blue and violet to an angry contrast of crimson and gold.

"What is this, human? What have you done?!" she spat angrily, the rhythmic, rushing quality of her tone turned gruff with rage.

And Kurama found he could move his mouth and speak. He did not smile at her like his predecessor might have when he'd outsmarted an opponent, although he couldn't help but feel a certain measure of perverse pleasure in turning this situation around on the creature. Instead, he only said matter-of-factly, "You have underestimated your opponent. I am no ordinary human."

"Recall this- _beast!_ " she demanded, trying and failing to wriggle her way out of the vine's painful grasp.

"I'm afraid I cannot. You see, the seed of the Greater Barbed Water Hook lies in wait in a shallow body of water until some unfortunate youkai happens to pass too closely. Sensing a source of youki, it steals and siphons off enough energy to germinate and attach itself to the youkai, swiftly and ravenously draining the victim of their life force before it blooms and then disperses its seeds. Their entire grisly life cycle lasts less than twenty-four hours; it is truly one of the wonders of Makai." As he calmly explained this he was steadily regaining the use of his muscles starting in his head and moving down his body as the plant continued to constrict around her and drain her of energy.

Finding he could move his arms and hands again, the avatar took a moment to casually tighten his long red ponytail as he warned her dispassionately, "The harder you struggle, the quicker the Hook moves."

The creature glared ferociously and snapped her sharp teeth at him, but she stilled her struggles. "What do you want? Why do you seek to kill me?" she hissed indignantly.

His eyebrows shot up in shock. "Madam," he corrected respectfully, "it was you who first attacked me. As your spell began to take hold on me, and after witnessing the fates of the cranes, I was forced to take defensive action on the grounds that you were a threat to my life. Judging by the state of poor Ashi over there," he gestured to the writhing crane in the water, stomach still heaving from some enormous internal pressure, "my analysis of the situation was the correct one… Tell me, those are your offspring in the bird's stomach, aren't they? You are using the cranes as incubators."

The creature spared the suffering crane a look that Kurama might almost have called regret, had it been on a more human face. Ignoring his question, she retorted "I will leave you," somehow maintaining an image of authority. "If you release me, you may leave the village unharmed. You may take your woman with you," she offered him generously.

Again, he only regarded her with a cold, pragmatic gaze. Her reluctance to confirm his theory told him he was indeed correct. "You have taken too many lives. I cannot let you continue," he told her.

He could tell she was becoming weaker by the moment. The fins that had floated around her form hung limply and the bioluminescent patterns were becoming distorted, moving sluggishly over her flesh. The hooked "jaws" of the vines were snapping around her, sapping her strength and preparing to open their blooms. Finally, he was completely released from the hold the woman's spell and he carefully stepped up to her. The vines, sensing no youki from him, as they shouldn't if he did not draw on the youkai part of his soul, ignored him completely in favor of their victim. He had to ask her, although he knew the answer already, "Would you leave the surviving cranes be? Release them from your spell?"

"No!" she answered vehemently, instinctively. And he knew she told the truth. She would not leave the offspring she had implanted in the cranes, and their fates would be sealed when the growing life inside them eventually tore its way out of their abdomens.

He nearly allowed himself a tired sigh. _Nearly_. This was a no-win situation, which was unfortunately something he was painfully familiar with.

But it would get worse. From the direction of the village, two great white cranes approached on wing. Kumo and Nami, undoubtedly. Kurama watched as the two glided gracefully lower, circled, and landed close-by, taking their humanoid forms as soon as their feet touched the water. When the fading woman noticed their arrival, she sprung violently back to life, struggling fiercely against her thorny captor, snarling. "Stay back, you fools!" she spat at the cranes, "do not take one step closer!" Blue blood poured thickly down her body with her renewed struggles.

Eyes wide and expressions blank, the two cranes obeyed. Even from this distance and with nothing but the moonlight and the creature's fading light to see by, Kurama could make out the quivering contours of Nami's swollen stomach under his kimono. He wouldn't last much longer, either. Neither of them would. The avatar spared a moment of regretful reflection for the fates of the innocent cranes, and then returned to the present situation. To be sure, the creature would not prey upon anyone else in this way.

Still, this wasn't over yet. There were loose ends. Like, where was Kagome? Surely she would have been keeping up with the two cranes… unless she had discovered the prisoner in the community building. And, for that matter, that was another loose end. How did that person, whoever they were, fit into this scheme? A plant, perhaps, an insider? Someone who had opened the gate for this monster's invasion?

It seemed that his answer would come sooner than he had anticipated. In the distance, gilded in moonlight, a fourth crane approached from the direction of the village. Quickly, he assessed the approach of the stranger and determined it could only be the prisoner in the community building. Alarm bells started to go off. Where was Kagome?

As the airborne crane came to land, Kurama threw out his sixth sense, trying to feel out any presence of holy reiki in the darkness around him. Nothing, but… yes! That was her! He couldn't feel her holy energy, but he could feel the unique, empty aura her sealed presence left in the demonic atmosphere. She was approaching quickly on foot and would arrive shortly. At least there was nothing to indicate that she was injured; her movement didn't seem to be hindered.

Despite his rigorous and careful analysis of the situation up to that point, he was not prepared for what happened next.

The bird touched down and took the form of a tall young woman with the trademark red patch and white feathers of the cranes and, oddly, a sprig of wilted lavender behind one ear. By this time, the creature's mysterious spell upon the water had diminished, too, and the newcomer's frantic steps splashed loudly in the quiet of the night as she rushed to the dying creature's side. The vines had stilled, having feasted and entered their reproductive state, the hard, waxy petals of the beak-like green flowers curling back slowly to reveal a magnificent flourish of fleshy pink and golden stigmas and anthers heavy with the cursed pollen.

She collapsed onto her knees, unhesitating, before the slumped form of the woman obscured within the unyielding coils of the Water Hook.

And she was sobbing. He observed in confusion as the young woman reached out to the dying creature, ignoring the menacing thorns and the strange blooms that surrounded her, sliding her arms around the woman's waist and holding her face against her naked stomach. Sobs wracked her whole body. The sounds coming from her grieved, gaping mouth were inhuman, but unmistakably ones of anguish. He swallowed and couldn't help the pain that pulled at his own heart at the scene.

"Mei-zhen…" her voice broke as she sobbed against the cold, dark flesh of the creature. "Meizhen, please… please don't leave me…" The pain in her voice broke something within him.

And it seemed to rouse the last bit of life left in the creature to the surface. Her face glimmered faintly and her inhuman eyes slitted open just barely enough to gaze down at the woman clutching her. "…beloved…" she croaked weakly. There was nothing left of the ocean in her voice, then. It was all too earthly, pained and tethered.

The crane raised her eyes desperately to the woman's and reached up one timid hand to rest on the half of the creature's face which was not obscured under the vines. From his position, he could just make out the woman's plea. "…why? Why did you do this, Meizhen?" she whispered fearfully, face twisted in agony and tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

Slowly, painfully, the sea creature drew a ragged breath through dry lips. Unable to move and unable to offer comfort to the other woman, she only smiled faintly, tiredly, sharp white teeth just peeking out. "…forgive me… my beloved…" Her eyes fluttered closed and she took another long, ragged breath. She whispered, painfully, "…I just… missed them so much…"

And finally, the light faded completely from Meizhen's face and she let go of her last breath. The crane held her tightly, her mouth agape and seeming to be in shock at what had just transpired. Not a sound escaped her. Then Kagome broke noisily through the reeds and onto the tragic scene.


End file.
